


The Perfect Match

by slowroad



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Multiple Pairings, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 02:53:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 70
Words: 158,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slowroad/pseuds/slowroad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus and Scorpius are in their sixth year at school. Albus is popular, famous both for his surname as well as his skill on the quidditch pitch. Scorpius is the quiet, bookish Ravenclaw that Albus doesn't really know or think about much. A chance encounter makes him realise that Scorpius may be the most interesting person he's ever met...</p>
<p>Draco Malfoy is the Potions Master at Hogwarts while Harry Potter is the reluctant Head Auror. Draco is one of the best teachers at Hogwarts and he's pretty content with his life until Harry starts coming to him for help with his cases and stirs up long buried feelings. They slowly become friends and there is hope for more as Harry's marriage, which has been in trouble for a long time now, comes to an end.</p>
<p>The first few chapters are entirely Albus/Scorpius, but there is a plenty of Draco/Harry from chapter 11 onward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All these wonderful characters belong to J K Rowling. I've just borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours.

...

It was a Sunday afternoon in the beginning of October. Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley were sitting in a quiet corner of the Ravenclaw common room and talking.

"Frank asked me out last night," Rose said, trying not to blush.

"Again? I'm starting to like this guy. What did you say?"

"Um...I said I'd think about it."

"And?"

"I don't know Scor. I'm not sure. I like him, I really do. But, he's just too damn popular. He's  got all these girls chasing after him and he's so good looking and he's always so elegant and put together and I'm...I'm just me. I'm this quiet little bookworm who wouldn't understand fashion if it bit me on the nose. We’re just so different from each other...” she said, frowning.

Scorpius shuffled a bit closer and put his arm around her. "So you like him, but he scares you..." he said gently.

"Yes," she said softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "He's been around a bit. I've never been with anyone and every time he comes close to me, my brain shuts down and I start babbling. We've only spoken a few times but I've made a fool of myself every single time...It's embarrassing and painful. I wish he would just give up. I don't know what he sees in me to be honest."

"I'll tell you what I see. I see the smartest witch in this entire school. I see a girl who is loving and loyal to a fault. A girl who is beautiful, but doesn't seem to know it. The fact that you're shy and a bit awkward just adds to the allure, I think. Frank is a smart guy, Rosie. He knows what he wants. He's been chasing you since the beginning of this term. You haven't given him any encouragement, but he's stuck around. I think he's serious about you. He's not just looking for a fling..."

"How did you know that I was worried about that?"

"I'm not your best friend for nothing you know...Just give the guy a chance, alright."

"If I can keep my head long enough to actually talk to him...Why am I like this?"

"That's just the way it is with us...we do better with books than with people."

"Hmmm...That’s why all you ever do is look at Albus, is it?"

"It's not like I could anything else," Scorpius said with a sigh.

"I don't see why not. You should take your own advice and talk to him, make an attempt to get to know him and let him see what you're really like, instead of mooning over him all the time."

"I do not moon over him."

"Yes you do. You're asking me to be brave and take a chance with Frank. I don't see why you can't do the same."

"It is not the same, Rosie. Frank is actually interested in you."

"If Albus is not interested in you, it is because he doesn't know you at all. Every time you see him, you clam up...and then you find an excuse to be somewhere else."

"That is because I know I don't stand a chance with him. Or haven't you noticed that he's straight?"

"Merlin! Not that again. I've been telling you since the beginning of this term; Albus is not as straight as you think he is. I used to think that he was straight too, that's why I never gave you any encouragement before, but I noticed a few things over the summer that convinced me otherwise."

"What things?"

"I saw him checking a few blokes out when we were at the beach and I even caught him flirting with this guy in a cafe...I don't think Al was aware that he flirting, though."

"How can he not know that he's flirting if he's doing it?"

"He's a bit oblivious that way. Anyway, the point is that I think Al is bi and so you have a very good chance with him, particularly considering the fact that he values brains over looks and you have both. So you should let me get you guys together."

"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen. Your cousin has never looked at me twice and he never will. I just have to accept that," Scorpius said with a sigh.

Rose gave him an exasperated look. They'd had this conversation several times since the beginning of the term and no matter what she said, Scorpius wouldn't listen to her. So she sat in silence for a while, trying to think of a way to convince him. Scorpius was a bit lost in thought as well...

The two of them had been good friends right from their first year, much to the annoyance of Rose's cousins. The only ones who didn't mind were Albus, Louis and Lily. James could never understand how Rose could choose to hang around with a Malfoy. He was very much like his uncle Ron in that respect. He'd only refrained from teasing and taunting Scorpius after Rose had hexed him a few times.

Rose had heard her father talk about the Malfoys ever since she was a kid. Draco Malfoy had featured in a lot of her father's stories about school. He'd even warned her about Scorpius before she got on the Hogwarts express for the first time. Everyone had been surprised when Scorpius was sorted into Ravenclaw. That, combined with the fact that all her cousins were in Gryffindor, was perhaps what prompted Rose to seek him out. It was a big surprise when she realised that Scorpius was even shyer than she was. But she'd liked him straight away and she'd kept after him with all the determination that she had inherited from her mother, until he gave in and they became friends.

It helped that they were very alike. They loved books and learning with a passion. They were both very private people who had trouble making friends and hated drawing attention to themselves. They worked hard at their studies and they were both creative as well. Rose was musically inclined while Scorpius was an artist. Over the years they had formed a solid bond and they trusted each other more than anyone else in the world. Their friendship had come as a bit of a shock to their families, but Draco, Harry and Hermione had accepted it fairly quickly, though Ron, Ginny and rest of the Weasleys were still uncomfortable with it...

Rose chose to ignore all of them. Ron in particular was terrified that his daughter might fall in love with that Malfoy boy as he continued to call him. Rose knew that there was no chance of that happening at all. Scorpius was more like a brother to her anything else and he was gay. But she chose to keep that bit of information to herself because she enjoyed watching her father splutter and go red in the face every time she mentioned Scorpius...It was perhaps a little spiteful of her, but she resented her dad because he would never acknowledge Scorpius as her friend. Rose hated the fact that she was not allowed to invite Scorpius home or to visit him even.

"So what are you going to do?" Scorpius said, finally breaking out of his reverie involving a tall, well built, green eyed, messy haired somebody.

"Tell you what," Rose said with a gleam in her eye. Scorpius had taken to calling it the Weasley glint. It was a look that she always got when she was up to something.

"What?" He said warily.

"I'll go out with Frank if you will make an attempt to get to know Albus."

"How would I do that? And what makes you think that he wants to get to know me?"

"He doesn't. But he will want to be your friend if you can manage to have even one proper conversation with him. Let him have a glimpse of what you're really like. I'll find a way to get you some time alone with Al and you find something to talk about. That shouldn't be difficult considering that you and Al share a lot of interests. But you have to promise me that you will not run away like you always do. You're a very interesting guy Scor, not to mention gorgeous. Just let him see that, will you?"

"Gorgeous, me? You have got to be kidding."

"No. You are one of the top three in the list of the hottest guys at Hogwarts."

"Really? And who makes this list?"

"All the girls do," Rose replied with a smirk. "There'll be a lot of broken hearts around here when they finally figure out that you're gay."

"Oh shut up!" Scorpius said irritably.

"Aren't you going to ask me who the other two blokes in that top three are?"

"Albus Potter and Louis Weasley," Scorpius said and then he chuckled at the look of surprise on her face. "I am gay, you know," he said.

"So do we have a deal or not?"

"You're not serious!"

"Of course I am. Come on now. Don't be a spoilsport..." Rose said making puppy eyes at him.

"Why are you so keen to get me and Albus together anyway?"

"Because I know you'll be good together. And I love you both too much to pass up a chance to make you happy. Say yes. You know I'm not going to let this go."

"Alright. Fine! But I'm telling you nothing will come of it."

"What if I said nothing would come of my going out with Frank? You would tell me that I still have to give it a shot, right? This is the same."

"Fine!" Scorpius agreed grudgingly.

...

It was later that evening. They were going down to dinner when they ran into Frank. He approached them with a small smile. He tried to look confident (he was a Gryffindor and confident sort of came with the territory there) but Scorpius could see that he was tentative. It was only natural, considering he'd already asked Rose out twice and had been turned down. Scorpius admired him for the fact that he seen beyond the rejection to the hesitancy and fear that had made Rose say no and kept after her.  _If any girl in this school is worth risking your pride for, it's Rosie,_ _he_ thought _._ So he smiled encouragingly as he greeted Frank and then he excused himself.

Scorpius walked in to the great hall alone. He was about to walk over to the Ravenclaw table when someone bumped into him hard enough to make him lose his balance. "Sorry," that someone said as he grabbed Scorpius by the arm to keep him from falling.  _Albus!_ He thought as he looked up and fought down a blush.

"Where's Rosie?" Albus said.

"We ran into Frank on the way here."  _Stop blushing._

"Oh. He told me that he asked her out again. Please tell me she's going to say yes this time. Frank is much too nice a guy for her to toy with."

"She's not toying with him. She's just a bit unsure. She's not used to having handsome, popular, quidditch playing, school heart throbs chasing after her," Scorpius said.

Albus looked surprised and amused by that statement. He looked curiously at Scorpius like he was seeing him for the first time. "I know...It's just that he's a very nice guy and he's perfect for her. I hope she can see that."

"And he's your friend," Scorpius said.

"Well, that too."

"Don't worry. She's going to say yes...well, in fact I think she already has," he said as he pointed to the door.

Rose Weasley and Frank Longbottom walked in holding hands and they were greeted by whistles and cheers from the Gryffindor table. Frank was one of the most popular guys at school and his pursuit of Rose, who most people thought of only as a bookworm, had a fairy tale quality to it. The school had been talking about it for weeks now, so seeing them together like this, they all felt entitled to express their appreciation.

"Good for her. Well, I'll see you around, I guess," Albus said and then he smiled that damn smile of his, the smile that made Scorpius dizzy every time he saw it, and then he turned and walked away. Scorpius stood rooted to the spot trying to clear his head. Then he sighed.  _Why? Why of all the people in the world did I have to fall for Albus?_

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

It was the afternoon of the next day. Rose and Scorpius were in the library doing their homework. Scorpius was looking though his essay for Charms, while Rose worked on Potions. She had a look of intense concentration on her face. Despite her staggering intellect, she struggled with Potions...though not in the sense that anyone else would use the word 'struggle.' She had no difficulty understanding anything and all her potions were of text book quality, but no matter how hard she tried, she had not managed to get top marks in the subject for the last five years. She lost out every time to Albus. So she tended to work extra hard on the subject.

She sat back with a sigh after a bit. "I can't believe your dad has us working on Felix Felicis. It is such a tricky bloody potion," she grumbled.

"He wouldn't have assigned it if he didn't think we could do it," Scorpius replied calmly.

"He thinks Al can do it and that's about good enough for him, isn't it? The rest of us don't count."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I will never understand why it bothers you so much," he said. "Albus is better than you at Potions. So what? You beat him in everything else."

"I don't understand why it doesn't bother you. You are easily the smartest boy in school."

"Maybe, but I don't have your insatiable desire to be the best at everything."

"Doesn't your dad mind though? I mean he's a brilliant potions master. I'm sure he wanted to pass on all his knowledge to his son, but you're not even interested."

"I'm not him, Rosie and he knows and respects that. In fact, he's always encouraged me to find my own way. He's bemused by the thought of me as an artist...that just doesn't sit well with his inner Malfoy. But he's impressed by my skill and he's proud of me, even though he does sometimes look at Albus like he wants to adopt him."

"Is that so?" Scorpius looked up to see that Albus and Frank had just come up to their table. Albus was smiling at him. It was obvious that he had heard the last part of their conversation and was vastly amused at the thought of Draco Malfoy wanting to adopt him.

Scorpius chastised himself for blushing the moment he noticed Albus, but he smiled easily enough and said, "Yes. He's been teaching for twenty years and he insists that you're the best student he's ever had. I think he's still a bit shocked that you're a Potter though."

"Not as shocked as my father is, trust me. His ineptitude with potions is legendary."

"So you're no more like your dad than I'm like mine."

"No. We just look like them is all," Albus said as he looked at the boy in front of him with new interest. He'd never thought much about him before, but Scorpius was starting to intrigue him.

"I see you're getting along nicely," Frank said with an amused, if slightly puzzled look on his face. "So I guess you won't mind if Rosie and I go off and ditch you two for a bit."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows at Frank's easy use of that nickname. Rose was blushing but she didn't seem to mind.

"Oh please! Get her out of here before she drives herself crazy trying to redo a perfectly good assignment," Scorpius said.

"It's potions! It has to be brilliant," Rose said.

"No it doesn't. Sometimes, good is good enough. Now get out you bloody workaholic," Scorpius said as he gave her a playful push. "And Frank, please make sure she doesn't get back here until dinnertime."

"Fine. I'm going," she said and she started to gather her things. "Why don't you stay a while, Al? Maybe you two could talk...I like my friends to know each other," she said, in an all too innocent voice. It was only then that Scorpius realised that this meeting in the library hadn't been by chance. Rose must have told Frank to meet her here. But how did she manage to get him to bring Albus along?

"Sure," Albus said as he pulled up a chair and sat down. He would have done that anyway. He'd never really noticed Scorpius before, but he'd made a couple of really interesting statements in the last two days and there was just something about him that made Albus curious...

Scorpius was glad that Albus didn't seem to have noticed Rose's machinations. It would be too mortifying if he knew _. What is it with Rosie and her obsession about getting me and_ _Albus together?_ He thought as he watched her walk out of the library. It was obvious that Frank wanted to put his arm around her, but Rose made sure to stay out of reach.

"Poor Frank," Albus said.

"I know. Rosie's quite a tough nut to crack," Scorpius replied.

"Can I ask you something?" Albus said, after a minute. "What's it like, having your father be your teacher as well?"

"Have you asked Frank that question?" Scorpius said.

"He says it is a pain. Unlike the rest of us, he has no chance to get away from his parents."

"I know that it would feel that way to most people, but honestly, I love having dad here all the time. We're really close. I would miss him terribly if he weren't here. And I don't think he could manage to be away from me for months at a time, either."

Albus had no idea what to say. It gave him a pang to realise that his relationship with his own father was nothing like Scorpius had just described. He loved his father very much and they had been really close for a long time, but lately, it seemed as if  they never spent any time together. His father was always at work and even when he was home, there were too many other people around...

"What?" Scorpius said when Albus didn't say anything.

"Nothing. It's just...most kids don't feel that way about their parents. Your relationship sounds pretty special."

"It is. But I guess a lot of guys would find it rather sappy of me."

"Yeah. But they're idiots."

"True. I guess dad and I are as close as we are because we really have no one else. No uncles, aunts, cousins or grandmothers. I've always wondered what that would be like. Particularly when I see you lot hanging out together so much."

"It is fun to have such a large family, but sometimes I get tired of it all. There's just too many people in my life. And I am not a people person."

"Really? I didn't expect that. I thought Rosie was the only quiet one."

"She's just better at getting people to leave her alone."

"She thinks you’re a little too nice,”

"I think she means I'm a pushover."

"Huh! According to Rosie, everyone is. Will of steel, she's got. I hope your friend knows what he's getting into."

"Oh he does. And no, he won't be able to stand up to her. Rosie will dominate him exactly the way her mum dominates her dad. But I don't think Frank will mind that. He's a fairly easygoing chap."

They were silent for a few minutes after that, each wondering at the ease with which they had got talking...about fairly personal things, at that. Albus had really meant it when he'd said that he was not a people person. He didn't like crowds and noise and chaos and that was what all his family gatherings felt like to him.

Every time he was home for the holidays, he would wish that for once it could be just them, just him, mum and dad, Lily and James. But their house was always full of people. Everything they did, they had to include everyone else in. They wouldn't even take a vacation without Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione and Uncle George and Aunt Angelina and all their kids. It was exhausting.

And school was worse. He had been surrounded by his cousins ever since he'd come to Hogwarts. And as Harry Potter's Qudditch playing, Gryffindor son, he was popular and sought after. And since he was much too nice to tell people to shove off (unlike Rosie), he spent most of his life surrounded by people, feeling compelled to live up to this image of him that they had built up. So he'd felt more than a little envious when he'd heard Scorpius say that his father appreciated him for who he was and that he didn't feel the need to be anything other than that.

"I envy you," he said finally.

"What? Why?" Scorpius said, looking bewildered.

"You seem so...comfortable in your own skin."

"Albus..." Scorpius began.

"Call me Al, please. I hate my name," he said.

Scorpius noted the deft change of subject, but he let it be.

"Join the club."

"You hate my name too?" Albus said.

"No, you dolt. I hate mine. What kind of a name is Scorpius? I can't believe my dad did that to me."

"Huh! I'm Albus Severus...beat that."

"Scorpius Hyperion and don't get me started."

"Scorpius Hyperion? Really?"

"Really. It's child abuse, is what it is."

Albus chuckled at that. "I wonder what parents think they're doing when they saddle us with names like these. I mean it is bad enough that I am Harry Potter's son, without adding Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape to the mix. You're definitely better off in that sense. All you're stuck with is a bunch of stars."

 


	3. Chapter 3

Albus lay awake in bed a long time that night. He was thinking about that conversation in the library. Scorpius had turned out to be a lot more interesting than he had imagined. The way he talked about his dad, the way he behaved with Rose...It was obvious that he loved them both very much, in his own quiet way.  _I like that he's quiet. It makes a nice change from all my boisterous friends and cousins. And I can't believe how easy it was to talk to him. I felt like I could just say what I wanted, no need to think or pretend or try to look like someone I'm not._

Albus had a lot of friends. At least, that is what everyone thought. He had a lot of people to hang out with, but no one that he could truly share himself with, no one that he could just talk to, about the things that mattered to him. Frank was a good friend and so was Liam. But all they ever talked about was lessons, Quidditch, and girls. In fact, ever since fourth year, it seemed that all his friends could talk about was girls. It was the sort of conversation that made Albus feel vaguely nauseous...it was a reaction that he couldn't understand or explain. And he pretended to go along with it because he wanted to fit in.

_Fit in? What a joke_ , he thought. He loved school, he loved all the things they got to learn and explore, but ever since the day he'd got on the train to Hogwarts for the first time, Albus had felt like a misfit. People seemed to assume that they knew what he was like even before they had properly met him. Everyone, it seemed, thought, no they were convinced that Albus Potter would be exactly like his father, as fond of Quidditch, as fond of getting into trouble and as disinterested in academic accomplishment. And it didn't help at all that Albus looked exactly like his dad, except for his height and build.

_I love my dad, but I am so tired of being Harry Potter's son_ , he thought and he was reminded again of the envy he had felt when he was talking to Scorpius. He seemed so self assured and so comfortable with himself.  _I wonder what it is like to just be yourself and not give a damn about what anyone thinks of you_ , Albus thought as he stared at the canopy above him and shifted restlessly in bed.

...

Scorpius woke up with his head full of thoughts about Albus. There was nothing particularly unusual about that. He'd had a crush on the man for nearly two years...in fact it was his attraction to Albus that had made him realise that he was gay in the first place. So those green eyes and that gorgeous face featured often in his thoughts. But it was a bit different today, because he was thinking more about the man than about his looks. He'd learned a few things about Albus in the course of their conversation the previous day.

Two statements in particular had stuck in his head. "I'm not a people person," he'd said. So Albus wasn't actually comfortable with all the attention that he was constantly getting. He didn't like to be surrounded by people but he pretty much always was. _Why does he put up_ _with it if he doesn't like it?_ he wondered. And then he'd said, "I envy you. You seem so comfortable in your own skin." _Now what does that mean exactly? Albus is not comfortable with who he is? He's clearly not who he seems to be. So is Rosie right when she says that he tries really hard to fit in with the expectations that people have of Harry Potter's son? It must be so difficult to live like that. Why does he do it?_

They had talked for a few hours the previous night. It had been so easy. After a while, it had felt like he was talking to an old friend rather than someone he barely knew. He'd found Albus interesting and very charming. He was witty as well and able to hold an extended conversation without once mentioning Quidditch or girls, which was quite unusual among the boys at Hogwarts. He'd been surprised to find that they shared a love of reading, literature and languages. He'd seen Albus with his nose stuck in a book a few times, but he had assumed that it was an exception rather than the rule. Extensive reading didn't go with his Quidditch playing-Gryffindor jock- school heart throb persona, after all.

He'd had a crush on the guy for a long time, but now that he had talked to him and got to know him a little, he'd taken a genuine liking to him. I hope we end up being friends, at least, he thought as we walked into the great hall for breakfast. He spotted Albus the moment he sat down at his table. He was in the middle of a large group of people...his friends, his cousins, his brother and his friends. They were as usual, talking and laughing loudly. Albus, on the other hand, seemed to be engrossed in his book. He looked up after a bit and noticed Scorpius. He smiled broadly, like he was just happy to see him and Scorpius felt a very familiar flutter in his stomach. He smiled back. And then he got out his own book and started to read as he had his breakfast.

He ran into Albus a couple of times that day, but they were always going to, or coming back from classes and Albus was always surrounded by his friends and cousins anyway, so they didn't get a chance to talk. Scorpius was disappointed, but he shrugged it off. The next few days were exactly the same. That was when he started to get irritated. There had been something between them that night...the beginnings of a friendship, certainly. But now it seemed that it was only he who had thought so.

Albus still smiled at him whenever he saw him, but he made no attempt to approach him or to talk. And much as he wanted to, Scorpius couldn't approach him when he was with his friends and cousins all the time. It would just be weird. School was a place where you made your friends and groups in the first couple of years and then you pretty much stuck to them until you left. It was very rare for someone to make new friends in the sixth year.

And nowhere is social hierarchy as rigid and entrenched as it is in school. There are the popular kids and the brainy kids and the two don't mix. Rose was the only person at Hogwarts who crossed that boundary regularly and that was only because of her family. So clearly, the friendship that he had hoped for, was not about to happen. Rose wouldn't let him give up though.

"Rosie, let it go. It's obvious that he's not interested. You told me to try to get to know him and I did. It was good...it was fun and it felt like we clicked. But clearly, it didn't feel like that to him."

"He's an idiot. But he'll come around. I just have to find a way to get you two together again."

"No, you're not going to do anything like that. It's hurtful, okay. It was just a crush, but then I got to know him a bit and now I really like him. And he seemed to like me too, but apparently not enough to actually try to make a friend of me. This feels awfully like rejection. So just let me be."

_It was one conversation. That's all it was. I just read too much too into it, curse my hopeful heart,_ Scorpius thought as he walked away. He stopped looking at Albus after that. But he couldn't stop thinking about him and that hurt. So he did what he always did when he got upset. He withdrew into himself, concentrated harder on his studies and spent hours on his drawings.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

It was a couple of weeks later. Rose and Scorpius were at breakfast. She was trying to persuade him to go to Hogsmeade with her. She was, as usual, going with all her cousins and now Frank as well. Scorpius had no desire to be a part of that group. There was no way he was putting himself in a place where he would have to look at or talk to Albus...

"Look, I definitely will not fit into that group. I never have, so let it go. I'm not coming."

"What will you do here all by yourself?"

"I'll read, I'll paint, I'll go for a walk, I'll go hang out with dad..."

"Sounds like a lot more fun than Hogsmeade to me," said a voice behind them... _Albus_. Scorpius barely had a moment to compose himself before the man in question was sitting in front of him, looking at him intently.

"Frank sent me to get you," he said, turning to Rose. "He's waiting in the entrance hall. He's decided to ditch the rest of them and keep you to himself. So go quickly."

"What about you?" She said as she got up to leave.

"I intend to stay right here. I'm not in the mood for Hogsmeade."

"Really? Maybe you two can hang out together then," she said and earned herself a death glare from her friend.

"Yeah. I'd like that," Albus said as Rose turned and left.

"Why?" Scorpius said.

"Why what?"

"Why would you want to hang out with me?"

"Because you are a lot more interesting than that rabble," Albus said pointing to his friends and cousins, who were as usual, making more noise than the rest of the school combined.

"Is that why you spend all your time with me instead of them?" Scorpius said snarkily.

Albus smiled. He looked a bit rueful. "I guess I deserve that."

"No you don't." Scorpius sighed. "I'm sorry. I have no right to say anything like that. It's not like we're friends or anything."

"But we could be...if you wanted."

"What's the point of my wanting anything? It's not like you ever have the time..."

"I'm sorry," Albus said.

"What for?"

"For not making an attempt to talk to you again after that day in the library. I know it felt like we were becoming friends."

"Then why didn't you?

"I wanted to, but..."

"But what?"

"It would have raised too many questions that I was not sure I was ready to answer...I have a very nosy family."

"Well, at least you're being honest...I get that they're nosy and interfering, but why can't you just tell them to shove off?"

"I don't know. I just never have. It is not easy being the only person in the whole family who is different...I've always felt like a misfit."

"So you try harder to fit in..."

"Yeah...it's a bit pathetic really." Albus was surprised again at the ease with which he was able open up to Scorpius, though he barely knew him.

"It's not pathetic..." Scorpius said softly.

They looked at each other for a minute. Scorpius had to try hard to suppress the flutter in his stomach and the blush that that threatened to show any minute at the sight of Albus looking at him with his head tilted to one side, like he was trying to figure him out. He couldn't keep himself from smiling though. That smile took Albus by surprise. It was such a happy smile...and for some reason it made him feel happy too.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

"What do you want to do?'

"Take a walk maybe..."

"Okay..."

And soon they were wandering through the grounds. They walked around the lake and then they headed for the Quidditch pitch. Scorpius wondered if Albus was deliberately taking him there.

"How come you don't play Quidditch?" Albus said.

"I just never took to it. I love flying though."

"Really? Well I'm glad to hear that."

"Why?"

"Because I'm in the mood to fly and I would love it if you would join me."

Soon they were up in the air and Albus found that Scorpius was very good on the broom. He was speedy and he had excellent control.

"You're very good at this," Albus said. "But how come I've never seen you fly?"

"I only come here in the mornings before breakfast."

"Alone?"

"No. Dad usually comes with me. He says it's a great way to clear his head before he has to face all the idiots and donkeys that he has to teach. We even have the occasional seekers game, and he nearly always wins."

Albus felt that stab of envy again. He loved his father more than anyone else in the world. They had been really close for years, particularly when he was a kid. His mum had been a professional quidditch player then. So she used to be away a lot and it was his dad who took care of them. He wasn't an Auror back then. So he was around all the time and they used to have such good times together. They would cook together, read books, watch movies, take long walks...he used to share everything with his dad. But then he'd turned eleven and started school and his dad had started working and now that he was the Head Auror, Albus saw very little of him, even when he was home for the holidays.

He looked up and noticed Scorpius looking at him curiously. "I'm sorry," he said.

"What were you thinking about?"

"My dad. We used to be really close until a couple of years ago, but I get hardly any time with him these days and I miss him a lot."

"Have you told him that?"

"No."

"You should. Write to him and tell him that you miss him. I'm sure he'll want to know."

"I'm a bit worried about him, actually. He looked so tired and worn out all through summer and he seems to be working all the time..."

"Tell him that too. It'll only make him happy to hear that you worry about him. And I'm sure he'll make time for you if you ask him to. After all, it is perfectly possible that he thinks you're too busy with school and friends to bother about him."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

They flew around quietly for a while after that and when they finally landed and put their brooms away, Albus turned to Scorpius and said thank you.

"Anytime. Just remember that, okay."

They walked around some more after that, talking softly all the while. Albus wondered how it was that Scorpius managed to make him open up and talk so easily when felt unable to do that with anyone else. He didn't know the answer to that, but he did know that he was starting to like Scorpius rather a lot.

**...**

It was late evening. They had spent the whole day together and they were now up on the astronomy tower, lying on a couple of blankets and looking up at the stars.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Al, you can ask me anything you want. If I don't want to answer, I'll just say so."

"How come you and Rosie didn't end up together? You seem so perfect for each other."

_Wow, I didn't see that one coming. What do I do? Should I just say she's like my sister or should I tell him that I'm gay? I don't want to hide that, exactly, but isn't it too early to share information like that? Will he think I'm coming on to him or something? I want him to know, I do, but, will he start feeling uncomfortable around me? I don't think I can bear that, not after today. But I don't want to lie..._

Scorpius spent a few minutes freaking out inside his head. Albus waited patiently for an answer and then, "It's okay, Scor. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Scorpius turned and looked at him. "I want to. I just don't know if it is a good idea to tell you..."

"What is it?"

Scorpius decided to just tell him and get it over with.  _I am who I am. I'm gay and that is just fine with me. If this messes with our friendship, well that would happen anyway whether I tell him now or later..._

"I'm gay," he said.

 


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm gay."

That statement was followed by a few minutes of silence. Scorpius started freaking out again, but then he stopped himself. He took a deep breath and looked up at the stars. He could see his father's constellation shining away to the left. It was a sight that warmed him and helped him calm down. He was startled when he felt Albus' hand close gently on his own.

"Thank you," Albus said softly. "Thank you for trusting me with something so personal."

Scorpius squeezed his hand in reply. He didn't know what was happening here, exactly, but his heart was pounding and he loved the feeling of Albus' warm hand holding his own.

"I'm really surprised. I didn't see it coming...you don't fit any of the stereotypes," Albus said.

"Of course I don't. I'm me."

"Yeah, and you're pretty special...does Rosie know?"

"What do you think?"

"She figured it out, huh?"

"A few months after I did."

"And your dad?'

"I told him. He wasn't surprised. Apparently he'd known for a while."

"I'm guessing no one else knows."

"It's not a big secret or anything. But I don't talk about it because I think it is nobody else's business, really."

"Why did you tell me?"

"I didn't want to lie to you...even by omission. And this is something that could potentially affect our friendship. So I wanted to get it out of the way, I guess."

"I'm not small minded enough to let something like this bother me."

"I know. But I just wanted to make sure."

They lay there quietly for a little while longer. They were still holding hands. Albus had no idea why he had reached for Scorpius like that, but at that moment it had felt important and then it just felt good, so he held on. It gave him a sense of comfort that he liked. It was hardly something that you did with someone who was just a friend, but he wasn't in the mood to question it just yet, so he let it be.

"Have you um...ever..." Albus began.

"Been in a relationship?"

"Yeah."

"No. I've never even been on a date."

"Really? Why?"

_Because ever since I figured out that I'm gay, I've only had eyes for you,_ Scorpius thought _._ He couldn't say that, of course. So he just shrugged. "I've never found anyone I liked enough, I guess. What about you?"

"I've never been in a relationship either. I've had a few dates, to Hogsmeade and the Yule ball and stuff like that, but nothing ever came of it."

"Why?'

"I didn't find my dates particularly interesting. A lot of people are casual about these things. But I can't be like that, somehow. I have to like someone a lot before I would even consider a relationship."

"I bet you get asked out a lot, though."

"I do. And it's embarrassing. Jamie can't understand why I keep saying no. You're almost seventeen, he says, like that makes any difference. Mum thinks I'm just shy like dad used to be, at my age. Frank figures I'm a late bloomer or something. Louis thinks I'm too picky and Lily thinks I'm too chicken..."

Scorpius chuckled. "It must be intimidating to have so many people have opinions and make judgements about all your choices."

"You don't know the half of it. Rosie and my dad are the only ones who let me be..."

"What's the time?" Scorpius said after a while.

"No idea, but it must be close to curfew. We should go."

"Yeah." Scorpius said, but he was reluctant to move. He didn't want the day to end yet.  _Besides I'm afraid that come tomorrow, everything will go back to the way it was and Albus won't have time for me anymore._ He sighed _._

Albus raised himself on his elbow and looked curiously at his friend. "I'm not such a bastard, you know," he said softly.

"What?'

"I'm not going to walk away from you again. That is what you're thinking isn't it?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"You have a very expressive face."  _And rather a beautiful one._ Albus was startled by that thought, but he continued to look intently at Scorpius, taking in the silky, white blonde hair, the pale skin that seemed to glow in the moon light, those beautiful long lashes and the silver grey eyes which looked back at him with such honesty and openness. Scorpius wondered why Albus was staring at him like that. But he kept his gaze fixed on the man above him and marvelled again at how gorgeous he was. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes.

 

Then Scorpius nudged Albus gently and said, "You're staring."

_"_ Um...Sorry. I was just thinking. We should go before Jamie starts sending out search parties," Albus said and then he got up.

"Protective older brother, huh?" Scorpius said as he transfigured the blankets back into handkerchiefs and put them in his pocket.

"You have no idea."

"Again, why do you put up with it?"

"I hate confrontations. Sometimes it's just easier to put up with things."

There was plenty that Scorpius wanted to say in response to that, but he decided that this was not the time. They left the Astronomy tower, went down the stairs and walked in silence until they got to the Ravenclaw common room. They stood there looking at each other and feeling a bit awkward. The whole day had felt oddly like a date. Scorpius had to fight the urge to kiss the man in front of him. The thought made him blush, so he looked away. The sight of Scorpius blushing made Albus' heart rate speed up in a way that he had not expected.

"Good night," Scorpius said finally.

"Good night. I'll...see you tomorrow."

Albus walked away feeling thoroughly confused. He thought about the day that he'd had. He'd started out wanting to talk to Scorpius and maybe spend a couple of hours with him, but the couple of hours had turned into a whole day of effortless conversation and companionship. He'd started out intending to make a friend, but now he wondered if friendship was quite the word for what he was feeling. And he couldn't understand why he was so happy.

He walked through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room feeling strangely peaceful. He knew that he would have to face a barrage of questions, comments and some wholly unnecessary judgments, but he didn't care. He’d just had one the best days of his life and it didn't matter one bit what anyone had to say about it.

 


	6. Chapter 6

"Where were you?" (James)

"Why didn't you come with us?" (Frank)

"How come you weren't at dinner?" (Louis)

"I was worried about you..." (Lily)

The questions and comments began as soon as he stepped into the common room.

"I didn't feel like going to Hogsmeade, so I stayed right here," Albus said.

"Why?" (James)

"What do you mean why? I just wanted to have a quiet day."

"What did you do?" (Frank)

"How is that any of your business?"

"Are you trying to hide something?" (Louis)

"Of course not! I just wanted to have a day to myself. Why is that so hard to understand?"

-silence-

"We'll, I'm going to bed," Albus said and he started climbing the stairs.

"Why did you skip dinner?" (Lily)

"I didn't. I ate in the kitchens."

"Alone?" (Lily)

"No."

-more silence-

They all looked at each other and then, "Oh!" (Louis)

"I see." (Frank)

"What? What do you see?" (James)

"You spent the day with a special someone, didn't you?" (Lily)

To Albus' eternal embarrassment, he blushed. He turned away quickly, but they all saw it...and it confirmed their suspicions.  _Why on earth am I blushing? I was not on a date. I was with Scorpius. He's...just a friend, right? I am so confused. And now I have this lot on my back,_ he thought and he shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all.

Lily was smirking. "Huh! I was right. Who is she?"

"There is no one. You are all deluded. I am going to bed," Albus said.

"Come on Al, be a sport. Tell us." (James)

"There is nothing to tell."

"Then why are you blushing?" (Lily)

"I'm not blushing."

"Yes you are. We're not blind," Frank said. Now he was smirking too.

Albus sighed. "Right. I've had enough of this. I'm going to bed."

He ran up to the dormitory, changed and got into bed quickly. He closed the curtains and cast a privacy spell on them. He wished he could just go to sleep. He wished he could have kept his mouth shut. He wished he hadn't given his friends the wrong idea. But mostly he stayed up thinking about Scorpius. He couldn't ignore the way he smiled the moment he thought about him, the way his stomach fluttered and his heart started thudding. He couldn't forget the way it had felt to hold his hand. It had felt right. And Scorpius had looked so beautiful lying there in the moon light and looking up at him...It was obvious that Scorpius liked him.

_Do I like him too?_  he wondered _._

_Yes._

_Enough to consider doing something about it?_

_I don't know_...It was a long time before he fell asleep that night.

...

Scorpius had a sleepless night as well. He was in no doubt of his own feelings for Albus. They were only stronger than they had been before. But what was Albus feeling? Was it only friendship? It had seemed like it was more than that, but was it real or was it just wishful thinking on his part? And if Albus was feeling something more than friendship would he accept it or would those feelings scare him off?

...

Albus woke up feeling disgruntled. He had been up for a long time trying to figure out what to do. He still had no idea. The only thing he knew for sure was that he liked Scorpius a lot.

_But he's a boy._

_Does that make any difference?_

_Of course it does. I'm not gay! I like girls._

_Really, who was the last girl I liked?_

_No one._

_That still doesn't mean I'm gay._

_Maybe I'm bi. Does that matter?_

_Maybe not. The point is that I like him and I don't know what the hell to do about it._

_What if I do nothing? Maybe the feelings will just go away?_

_Do I want them to go away?_

_No. But..._

_I am so confused._

And so he had argued with himself. He went down to breakfast early, hoping to avoid Scorpius, if at all possible. He didn't want to see him until he was a bit clearer in his own head. He walked into the great hall and took his place at the Gryffindor table. Scorpius walked in a few minutes later. Albus saw him out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't look up. He knew that Scorpius was sitting at his usual place at the Ravenclaw table, he knew that he should look up and smile at least, but he was afraid...afraid that he might blush or do something equally stupid. So he kept his eyes on the table...for about five minutes. Then his own words came back to him. "I'm not such a bastard you know..."

He looked up...he looked right at Scorpius, who stared back. Scorpius looked...tentative and hurt, like he knew that Albus had been trying to ignore him. _Bloody hell! Who am I kidding? I like him too much_ , Albus thought. Then he got up and made his way to the Ravenclaw table. He sat down next to Scorpius, took his hand under the table and squeezed it lightly. "I'm sorry. It seems I am a bit of a bastard after all."

Scorpius was surprised and a bit thrown by the hand holding, but he recovered and said, "No you're not. What made you come over?"

"Just needed to hold your hand, I guess."

Scorpius looked stunned. He hadn't expected Albus to be so honest. He recovered in a couple of seconds and said, "Good reason."

Rose was sitting across the table from Scorpius and watching them. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she had a pretty good idea. She decided that it was time for a strategic exit. So she made up an excuse about having to talk to Lily about something and left.

"Rosie knows, huh."

"She was waiting for me when I got in last night. What about your friends?"

Albus told him what had happened the previous night...

Scorpius laughed. "So I'm your girlfriend now?"

"Among other things..."

"The things I do for you, Al."

"No to mention the things you do to me," Albus said without thinking.

Scorpius blushed and tried to look away. But Albus saw him and he blushed too. "Sorry. I think my brain to mouth filter isn't working too well. Either that or just can't think around you..."

Scorpius blushed some more. "What are we doing?" He said softly.

Albus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I'm just acting on my feelings here. I know I'm taking liberties. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We need talk about this, though. Do you think we could meet in the library after classes?"

"Sorry. Quidditch practice...Astronomy tower, after dinner?"

"Okay."

They ate in silence after that. They were a little too aware of each other's presence and not yet comfortable with all the feelings that the proximity evoked. They continued to hold hands though. Albus felt as if that was the only thing grounding him at that moment. Scorpius was just glad of the reassurance that Albus was not trying to run from his feelings...

...

The day passed in a daze for both of them. They had a couple of classes together in which they tried to avoid looking at each other too much and didn't succeed at all. But it didn't really matter, because Rose was the only person who noticed and all she did was smirk and say, "I told you so." Once classes were done, Albus went down to the quidditch pitch and Scorpius to the library. Neither of them could focus on what they were doing. Albus had a lousy practice session and Scorpius got absolutely no work done.

Rose had to practically drag him to the great hall at dinner time. Albus chose, perhaps wisely, to stay at the Gryffindor table for dinner. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his eyes off Scorpius. It warmed him to realise that Scorpius seemed to be having the same problem. He kept thinking about their promised meeting. It made him nervous because he had no idea what he was going to say. He wanted to acknowledge his feelings. He wanted to tell Scorpius that he liked him and that he was attracted to him, but he had no idea how to say any of that without sounding sappy...And then there was all the uncertainty he had about being with a boy. He wished he had someone to talk to about all of this.

His wish was answered quite unexpectedly. He was pushing his food around his plate, pretending to eat, when Lily joined him. She'd been sitting a few feet away with her friends. She'd been watching her brother closely, but he'd been too preoccupied to notice.

"So, Malfoy huh? Didn't know you swung that way bro," she said calmly.

Albus nearly choked on his pumpkin juice, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Good choice though. He's hot. Amy's had a thing for him for some time now. She asked him out last week and he turned her down. He was very nice about it, told her that she was too young..."

Albus was staring at her feeling quite dazed. "What?" she said when she caught that look. "Malfoy is the special somebody that you ditched all of us for yesterday, isn't he?" She said. She sounded very matter of fact, like it wasn't a surprise to her that her brother found himself fancying a boy.

"How do you know that?"

"Not even going to bother to deny it huh!" she said and he flushed.

"Answer the question..." he said trying to be calm.

"You've been staring at him all through dinner. You look at him like you want to eat him. It's obvious that you like him very much... You haven't told him yet, have you?"

"No."

"Does it bother you that he's a boy?"

"Not exactly, but...let's just say that when I imagined myself being with someone that I really liked, I wasn't thinking of a boy."

"Tell me something. Have you imagined kissing him?"

Albus blushed and nodded.

"And how did it feel?"

"Honestly? It felt like a very good idea, something that I should get on to doing as quickly as possible," he said and then he groaned and put his head in his hands.

Lily laughed. "Then you should just do it. If you really like him, you shouldn't let gender get in the way. Particularly considering how hard it is for you to get close to someone."

"I know Lil. Why do you think I'm considering this at all?"

"Look I don't know him, but he's gorgeous and smart and Rosie tells me he's one of the nicest people she's ever known. And you know Rosie never says things like that casually. So stop worrying and just do what feels right."

"Thanks Lil."

"You should just have come to me you know. You don't have to deal with stuff like this on your own and you can trust me. I'm not like Jamie."

"I know," Albus said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and got up to leave. He glanced across the room and noticed that Scorpius was getting up as well.

He walked past the Gryffindor table as quickly as he could. He was so deep in thought that he was startled when James grabbed him by the hand.

"Fancy a game of chess, Al?" He said.

"Huh?" Albus just looked bewildered. He was trying to figure out what to say when Lily stepped in.

"Not now, Jamie. Al has some stuff he needs to get done for Professor Malfoy. He was just telling me about it. Why don't you and I have a game instead...?" She kept talking and James was sufficiently distracted, so Albus slipped out quickly.

He walked up the steps to the astronomy tower, feeling anxious _. What am I doing? I barely know him. I know what I feel, but shouldn't we try being friends first? Why am I rushing this? What harm will waiting for a couple of weeks do? Rushing into a relationship is never a good idea. And neither of us has any experience with relationships. What if we mess this up? We'll end up ruining a potential friendship as well. And what are we going to tell everyone? No one here knows that Scorpius is gay or that I'm possibly bi. If we get together, everyone will know. Are we ready for that sort of thing? Am I ready to be in a relationship and to share myself like that with someone?_

He honestly had no idea _._


	7. Chapter 7

Albus stood on the top step and took a deep breath. He pushed the door open and walked in. Scorpius was standing at the railing, looking over at the grounds. The sight of him made Albus catch his breath. He looked...angelic. There was no other word for it really. Albus knew that he himself was considered good looking, though he had no vanity in that direction. But Scorpius was ethereal almost...I can't believe that I've known him all these years and I never noticed how truly beautiful he is, he thought as he walked over to him.

Scorpius turned and smiled and Albus was lost. He forgot all his worries and did what he'd been longing to do all day. He drew Scorpius to him and then he kissed him. It was a gentle first kiss. It spoke of fondness, desire and longing and said everything that the two of them would have found hard to say with words. They pulled back a bit and looked at each other.

"Are you scared?" Scorpius said.

"I was. I was worried that all this is happening too soon. We barely know each other. I thought I'd tell you that we should try being friends first."

"What changed your mind?"

"You. I saw you standing here and all I wanted was to kiss you. And then I realised that if that is the way I feel, there is no way we can just be friends for however short a while."

"Good. Because I don't think I could stand to be just friends with you now."  _I think I'm falling in love with you, to be honest, but this would not be good time to tell you that, so I'll just keep that to myself and make do with snogging you senseless,_  Scorpius thought and then he proceeded to do just that. So far, Albus had taken the lead in their relationship. Scorpius had held back because he had been unsure of Albus' feelings. But now that it was no longer a concern, he let himself go. He let himself do what he had been fantasizing about for nearly two years.

Albus was surprised by the amount of passion that Scorpius brought to that kiss. It took his breath away and made his knees buckle. It made him whimper and moan in a way he would not have thought possible. _I thought I was lost before. I have no hope now,_ he thought as he held on and let Scorpius take what he wanted. The blonde had always seemed restrained and very much in control. It was breathtaking to see him step forward and assert himself like this.

Albus had so far kept his hands around Scorpius' waist, but now he started running his hands up and down his... _my what? Boyfriend?_...boyfriend's back and his neck and his arms...Scorpius was touching him all over too and it was starting to have a very arousing effect on his anatomy. He realised that Scorpius was having the same problem and the feeling of that hardness against him, turned him on even more. He knew that things were getting a bit out of control, but he didn't have the will or the desire even to make it stop.

Just when he thought he might explode from sheer wanting, Scorpius eased out of the kiss. They leaned against each other, trying to catch their breaths and calm their hearts. It took a while...they stood there holding on to each other, flushed, breathless and happier than they had ever been. Then Albus pulled Scorpius into a hug. Scorpius was at least half a head shorter than he was, so when they hugged, his head was tucked under Albus' chin...they slotted together perfectly. _Like we were meant to fit,_ Albus thought and then he smiled.

"Feeling better now?" Scorpius said softly.

"Feeling incredible actually. That was some kiss."

Scorpius blushed. It was not in his nature to be forceful. But he'd brought the pent up feelings of two years to that kiss and it had been pretty mind boggling.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me when you blush like that?" Albus said and Scorpius only blushed harder.

Albus almost growled as he pulled him into another kiss realising that any doubts that he might have had about being with a boy were gone for good. He had never imagined that he would be capable of feeling this kind of passion for anyone. And yet here he was, wanting Scorpius with everything he had.

"So what now?" Scorpius said after a while.

"This is the part where I ask you to be my boyfriend and you blush and say yes."

Scorpius promptly blushed again and Albus laughed.

"Prat!" Scorpius said.

"So..." Albus prompted.

"Do you really have to ask? Of course I'll be your boyfriend and you'll be mine."

"Good. Now, why don't we sit here for a while?" Albus said. And they sat down leaning against the wall, with their arms around each other.

"Do you think we can make this work?" Albus said.

"I don't see why not. We get along really well..."

"I know. It's just that we barely know each other."

"Well that is the whole point of a relationship isn't it? Deciding that we like each other enough to want to spend time together...we'll get to know each other as we go."

"I suppose you're right. I don't know how you manage to be so calm about everything, though."

"I like to live in the moment. Things will turn out the way they will. Worrying about them is not going to make any difference. But that's me. You need to worry things through before you're comfortable with them. We're both being ourselves, I think."

"I envy the way you seem to be able to think things through so clearly," Albus said after a while.

"I'm a Ravenclaw, Al."

"Hmmm..." Albus said. He sounded a bit regretful.

"What?"

"The sorting hat actually wanted to put me in Ravenclaw, you know. I asked it to put me in Gryffindor..."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to fit in."

"I didn't know you could ask the hat to do that."

"My dad told me on the platform before I got on the train for the first time. Jamie had been teasing me all summer saying that I wasn't brave enough to be in Gryffindor and I was feeling pretty bad about that. So when the sorting hat said I would do well in Ravenclaw, I didn't listen."

"You wanted your dad to think that you're brave...just like him."

"Yeah. Stupid, I told you."

"It's not stupid to want to be like your dad."

"Perhaps not, but I can't help regretting my stupidity."

Scorpius didn't say anything for a while. He was thinking.

"Al..." he said after a while, "Are you happy?"

"Right here, right now, I'm very happy. All thanks to you. But in general, not so much."

"Why?"

"A lot of the time I just feel lost. I don't know who I am and I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I'm almost seventeen. I should know by now right?"

"I don't think 'should' is the right word to use here. So you take a little longer to figure yourself out. So what?"

"You make everything seem so simple..."

"That's because it is."

Albus smiled and pulled Scorpius into his lap. Then he held his face gently and looked into his eyes. "I can see myself getting really dependent on you," he said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Isn't it?"

"No. I think the whole point of having a partner is to have someone to depend on, someone you can trust to take care of you, to lend a shoulder when you need it and hit you upside the head you when you're being stupid."

Albus found that he had a lump in his throat. He sighed and buried his head in his boyfriend's neck. They stayed there a long time, holding each other close, touching and kissing and talking softly.


	8. Chapter 8

A couple of weeks went by. Albus and Scorpius had spent a lot of this time together, but mostly in secret. They'd decided to keep their relationship quiet for a while...they both needed some time to get used to it and to each other, without all the attention that they would inevitably get if anyone found out. They told Rose and Lily, of course and Scorpius told his dad. Other than that they wanted to keep it quiet until they went home for Christmas.

They'd taken to having all their meals together, mostly at the Ravenclaw table. People noticed of course, but everyone assumed that they were just friends. Albus' cousins and friends were surprised, but none of them said anything much. James wouldn't keep quiet though. He couldn't understand what Albus could see in 'that Malfoy git' as he called him. He accused his brother of turning his back on his real friends and wasting his time with people who didn't deserve him.

But Albus stood firm. He told his brother to stop trying to run his life and to mind his own business. James was shocked. Albus had never taken a stand like that about anything before.

"I can't believe you are fighting with me over bloody Malfoy," he said one evening when he cornered his brother after dinner.

Albus had gone up to his dorm to get the invisibility cloak before going to meet Scorpius in the room of requirement. It was the third time that week that James had confronted him about this and Albus had just about had enough.

"His name is Scorpius and he's my friend. And I'm not fighting with you. I am simply asserting my right to choose my friends. I am not a child anymore Jamie. I can make my own choices and I can look out for myself. So go live your life and leave me be."

James was livid. "Fine. Have it your way. I'll write to mum about it. Let's see what she has to say, shall we?"

"You do know that you're being ridiculous, right? Go ahead. You write to mum. I'll write to dad. Let's see what he has to say as well."

They would have gone on like this if Rose and Lily hadn't stepped in and dragged them away from each other. Albus was understandably very upset. Rose sent him off to find Scorpius while she went and tried to knock some sense into her idiot cousin. Not that he would listen to her. He had always hated the fact she and Scorpius were friends. Still, she had to try.

Albus stood outside the room of requirement and took a deep breath. He tried to put James and his nonsense out of his mind. He hadn't had any alone time with Scorpius all day and he didn't want his bad mood to spoil it. He pushed the door open and saw his boy friend lying on the couch in front of the fire place. He was staring at the flames with a dreamy smile on his face.

He looked up when Albus entered and smiled his happy smile, as Albus called it. It never failed to lift his spirits. So he smiled back as he walked over to the couch and snuggled up to Scorpius. They held each other for a minute and then they kissed. It was slow and sensual at first but then it grew heated and soon Albus had his hands under Scorpius' shirt. He ran his hands gently up and down the blond's chest. Scorpius moaned in response and Albus found himself wanting more.

He wanted to ask but he wasn't sure how Scorpius would respond. So he hesitated. Scorpius must have sensed it. "What is it, love?" He asked as he continued to kiss and suck at Albus' neck in a way that made his toes curl and his whole body tremble with desire.

Albus smiled at that endearment which slipped so naturally from the boy in his arms. "Aaaaah..." he moaned as Scorpius hit a particularly sensitive spot behind his ear.

"Could you...ah...take your shirt off?" He said. They had only been together a couple of weeks, but Albus was practically dying to see his beautiful blond without his clothes. He didn't want to push but he was getting a bit desperate.

"Is that all?" Scorpius said with a laugh as he casually shrugged his shirt off.

Albus gasped as he raked his eyes hungrily over the boy in front of him and Scorpius blushed, making Albus laugh as well as he pushed him gently and made him lie down on the couch. Albus felt like he was in heaven. Scorpius smelt so good and his skin was soft with a fine dusting of soft blond hair...He ran his hands gently up and down that pale torso, feeling absurdly pleased when Scorpius moaned his pleasure. Then he proceeded to touch and kiss very inch of Scorpius that he could reach. Scorpius lay back on the couch. He ran his hands up and down Albus' arms and his back and..He gasped and panted as Albus kissed his way down his chest. He was very aroused and impossibly happy.

"Al..."

"Hmmm..."

"You should take your shirt off too. It's only fair."

Albus barely paused in his ministrations. He quickly pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it aside. They explored each other for a good long while before they finally gave in to their arousal. They were both still wearing their jeans...that was not a boundary they were ready to cross so soon. But despite the barrier of all the clothing, it was sensational. They collapsed against each other feeling sated and incredibly happy and totally loved...It was a while before either of them was able to speak.

"Scor..."

"Hmmm..."

"Does it bother you that I want to keep this a secret for a while?"

"No. I understand why you want keep it quiet. So it's okay."

"This is just something I want to tell my parents in person," Albus said.

"Are you worried about their reaction?"

"Neither of them will care about the fact that I'm dating a boy, but mum won't like the fact that it's you."

"But your dad will be fine with it..."

"Of course. I mean he and your dad are friends, almost. I was rather surprised when he told me that they've been working together. Did you know?"

"Yeah. Dad told me. It seems your dad has been coming to him for help with some of his cases over the last year...He also told me that they hadn't so much as spoken to each other for over twenty years before that. Strange isn't it?"

"Very. I've heard so much about how they were at school, always at each other's throats. I wonder what changed."

"Maybe they grew up."

"Uncle Ron certainly hasn't. He doesn't approve of my dad going to your dad for help, despite the fact that he is the best potions master in the country and he still hasn't accepted the fact that you and Rosie are friends."

Scorpius sighed. He wasn't surprised. After all, he knew how the Weasleys felt about him. Despite the fact that he was Rosie's best friend, he had never been invited to their home or acknowledged in any way at all.

"Will it be a problem if your mum isn't happy about us?" He asked feeling rather vulnerable all of a sudden. He would be loath to admit it, but it hurt every time someone thought badly of him just because he was a Malfoy.

Albus heard the uncertainly in his voice. So he pulled him closer and kissed him softly. "If my mum is unhappy about us, then it is her problem, not mine. I'm not going to let something like that get between us, I swear."

"I know. It's just that it's so unfair to be judged by things that happened long before I was born even. The war was twenty four years ago. You'd think that people would have let bygones be bygones by now."

"You know that's exactly what dad said the last time he was arguing with Uncle Ron. I can't wait for the two of you to meet. I'm sure he'll like you."

"I hope so. Though I'm sure it won't be anything like the affection my dad has for you."

"Lucky I'm good at potions huh!"

"I don't think that's the only reason he likes you though...you're a very nice guy, Al. There's an air of honestly and genuine goodness about you. I think it would be hard for anyone not to like you."

Albus was completely taken aback. "What?" He said.

"And you're uncomfortable with praise, which makes you all the more adorable in my opinion."

"Scor...you really think all that about me?"

"I know all that about you," Scorpius said with his quiet confidence. "I also know that you are intelligent, very well read and really charming. Add your gorgeous looks to the mix and you are quite irresistible."

Albus was floored...again. He didn't know how to react so he buried his head in the curve of Scorpius' neck and nuzzled him. Scorpius had a way of making him feel special. It was not a familiar feeling.

Scorpius held him close and ran his hand through the messy black hair that he liked so much. "Al, you are a very special person. I'm going to keep telling you that until you believe it...You don't have to fit in, love. You don't have to meet anybody expectations. You just have to be you." That just made Albus snuggle even closer and hold on. He didn't want Scorpius to see the tears that suddenly filled his eyes. Though he had a feeling that Scorpius knew anyway.

All his life Albus had struggled with all the expectations that people seemed to unwittingly place on him. His siblings faced the same kind of pressure, but James seemed to thrive on it, playing up to the image and revelling in the popularity. Lily just didn't care. She pretty much always did as she pleased. Lately the pressure had seemed too much for Albus. He'd longed to put his foot down and assert himself.

He was tired of the toll that quidditch took on his life. He'd been playing for the last five years, and while he liked the game, he wasn't crazy about it. There were other things that he wanted to do with his life, but between school and quidditch, there was never any time. He wanted to quit. He wanted to devote more time and effort to his studies. More time to just be...But he hadn't found the resolve to do any of that. Which was perhaps why Scorpius' words meant as much to him as they did at that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to everyone who's been following and reviewing this story. It is your reviews which keep me going. So please take a moment and tell me what you think.


	9. Chapter 9

Albus and Scorpius were at breakfast together, as usual. It was a sight that most of the school was getting used to, so they didn't pay much attention to them. Rose was over at the Gryffindor table with Frank and Lily. James was there too, but he was sitting a little further down the table with his friends. Rose and Lily had given him a real talking to, the previous night. They'd made him see that he was being a bit of an idiot...he wasn't ready to accept it though, so he had decided to avoid them.

"What's up with Jamie?" Frank said.

"He picked an argument with Al again last night and we told him off. So he's avoiding us now," Lily said casually.

"Hmmm...he does look rather put out. Though one would think that after so many years he'd know enough not to get on the bad side of you Weasley women."

"Hey! We're not that bad," Rose said.

"Not bad. Just strong willed, determined and very ready to speak your mind."

"Frank..." Rose said almost plaintively.

"It's okay, love. I didn't say that I don't like it now did I?" He said as he smiled and pecked her on the cheek. "Besides, you are also very loving, extremely loyal and brilliant in bed." He finished with a wink. He whispered that last bit, but Lily heard anyway and she smirked. Rose blushed a brilliant red and buried her head in her hands.

"Finally." Lily said softly.

"Lily!"

"What? You're seventeen. You're an adult. It's about time you got laid and stopped giving everyone else a bad name."

"I'll never understand how you can be so casual about sex." Rose said.

"Defence mechanism, I suppose...you know, not having found the man of my dreams and all. I know you're going to remind me that I'm only fifteen, Rosie, and it's not like I've had sex, but what can I say? Maybe I tend to trivialise it because I can't have it. It's hard when I see all of you happy couples. I mean even Al..." She trailed off when Rose kicked her under the table, but it was too late.

"Al?" Frank said, looking puzzled. "Since when does Al have someone? In fact I don't think I've so much as seen him with a girl for months now..." He trailed off as he looked across the hall at Albus and he realised that he only ever saw him with Scorpius these days and when had they become such good friends? And how come they seemed so close already? And wait weren't they sitting perhaps a little too close and...Why is Al looking at Scorpius like that? And is Scorpius blushing?

"You mean Scorpius?! Al is..."

"Shush." Rose said fiercely.

"Sorry," He said in a low voice. "Are you telling me that those two are together?"

"Yes. But you can't tell anyone."

"Since when is Al gay? Since when is Scorpius gay, for that matter? I thought Amy was asking him out just a couple of weeks ago..."

"Scorpius has known that he's gay for the last two years. He just hasn't told anyone. And Al is bi," Rose explained.

"How come he never told me?" Frank said.

"I don't think he knew it, to be honest."

"But you did huh?"

Rose nodded. "Of course."

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't know either," Lily said. "I caught him ogling Scorpius and I figured that he had the hots for him. I confronted him and he didn't deny it."

"..." Frank looked gobsmacked.

"It's okay, Frank. You'll get used to it," Rose said.

Frank continued to look at Albus and Scorpius and now that he knew what he was looking for, it was obvious that the two of them were in a relationship. There was so much fondness in the way they looked at each other. And there was the seemingly accidental touching, the occasional blushing. It was all there. Why didn't I see it before? How come no one else has seen it?

"Everyone thinks they're looking at a couple of straight guys..." Rose said softly.

"They look really happy..." Frank said. He was surprised.

"Oh they are. You should see them together. Besotted is not the word," Lily said. There was a note of bitterness in her voice that made Rose wonder.

"Lil," she said softly. "Why do I get the feeling that you're pining for someone?"

Lily blushed, but she tried to brush it off.

"Lil...level with me."

"I won't tell anyone either," Frank said. "I know better than to get on your bad side, trust me."

Lily looked torn. Like she wanted to tell them, but...

"We won't judge you. Now who is it?"

"I'm going to regret this, I just know it..." Lily said. "It's Jeremy..." She mumbled.

"As in Jeremy Nott?" Rose said. She sounded astonished.

"The Slytherin chaser?" Frank said. He was incredulous. This was a day for surprises apparently.

"Do you know him at all?" Rose said.

"I didn't. But Professor Malfoy made us team up for our assignment in Potions a couple of months ago and..."

"And?" Rose urged gently.

"Well, we sort of hit it off. He's rather quiet. So I thought he'd be boring. But he's not. He's got a wicked sense of humour and he's really charming and intelligent..."

"Sounds like you really like him," Rose said. "So what's the problem?"

"Violet bloody Parkinson," Lily said and she put her head in her hands and groaned.

Frank and Rose looked at her and then at each other and they had to smile. Lily had always been very casual about dating, saying that she liked to play the field and see what's out there and so on. And she was very popular...with good reason, Rose had often thought. She was one of the best looking girls at Hogwarts, with her milky white skin, red gold hair and her slender figure. She was also the best chaser that the school had seen in a long time and though she was the youngest player on the Gryffindor team, she was the captain. She was a catch and she knew it. And she flaunted it. Yet, here she was looking like any other love sick teenager.

"Parkinson? I don't think she's his girlfriend," Rose said.

"She's not. But she might as well be. She's always hanging on his arm. Even when we're working on our assignment, she makes sure to be around, always interfering, never letting me get a word in...Look at her. Could she sit any closer? She's practically in his lap. And does she think he can't eat by himself or something? Look at her fussing and trying to feed him...Ugh! I can't watch," She said and she put her head in her hands again. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Frank and Rose had to suppress an urge to laugh. Not that they didn't care about her feelings, but Lily was quite the drama queen.

"Lil, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think he likes her attentions any more than you do," Rose said softly.

Lily's head shot up at that. "Hmmm...Are you sure?"

"Yes. He doesn't look too happy."

"He does look a bit uncomfortable. But if he doesn't like her, why does he put up with her?"

"I think it's because they've been friends for a long time. Scor told me that they used to hang out together a lot when they were kids."

"Wait, Scorpius and Jeremy are friends?"

"Yeah. Their dads were friends all through school and I think they're all pretty close."

"How come I've never seen them together?"

"How many times did you even look at Scor before he started dating your brother? Except to ogle him I mean?"

"Point. So what should I do?"

"Nothing...for now. First we need to find out if he likes you."

...

Albus and Scorpius were, strangely enough, talking about Quidditch. Albus had just told his boyfriend about his decision to quit the team.

"How good is your reserve?" Scorpius said.

"She's okay. But she'll need a good bit of training. Nothing that Lily can't accomplish, given the time."

"When do you plan on telling her?"

"After the match against Slytherin. The next match isn't until March, so that'll give enough them time to train."

"Are you sure about this, Al? I mean you are a very good seeker and you seem to enjoy playing..."

"I used to enjoy playing, but I don't anymore. And all the time that we spend practicing...it feels likes like too much time out of my life. I'm so busy all the time...it's draining. I barely get my school work done. Last year was awful. I don't know how I got through my OWL's really. And I'm not even serious about Quidditch. I don't want to play professionally or anything. So why spend so much time over it?"

"True. How do you think your team will take it?"

"I don't think any one of them will understand really. Lily will be furious. Jamie will accuse me of abandoning the team and he'll try to guilt me into changing my mind. And Frank will ask me to reconsider. Louis and Fred won't say much. They'll just stand behind Jamie and glare at me."

Scorpius chuckled. "You'll have a fight on your hands then."

"Yeah. Can't be helped. Seems I have to fight for everything these days."

The post came in just then and Scorpius was surprised to see one of the school owls land in front of him. He never got any mail. He took the piece of parchment from the owl and gave it a bit of bacon. The owl hooted its thanks and flew away. He unrolled the parchment and he was surprised to see his father's elegant script.

_Scorpius,_

_I would appreciate it if you brought your handsome young man to dine with us in my rooms tonight. I really ought to get to know him better...particularly considering that he's a Potter and a Weasley. Have a good day, son._


	10. Chapter 10

Scorpius read the letter and blushed. Albus felt a twinge of annoyance at that. Who was sending Scorpius letters that made him blush? Scorpius looked at the head table and sure enough his father was looking at him with a smirk on his face. Scorpius glared at him. Draco's smirk only got wider. "Why?" Scorpius mouthed. "Don't ask stupid questions," Draco mouthed back. Albus was watching this little episode with interest. Scorpius had got a letter from his dad?

"What is it?" He said trying not to look too curious.

Scorpius handed him the note. Albus read it and he found himself smiling.

"Handsome? Really?" He said.

"Told you he likes you," Scorpius said. "And now he wants to get to know you better."

"That's what my dad will want when I tell him about us. So I guess I understand."

"I know. But we've only been together a couple of weeks."

"I'm going to get the whole hurt my son and I'll kill you speech, aren't I?"

Scorpius groaned. He looked at his dad and shook his head. "No," he mouthed.

"You never let me have any fun." Draco was pouting almost.

Scorpius chuckled. His father could be such a child sometimes. "Fine! Happy?" He said.

"Very."

Scorpius wondered often who the child in their relationship was. He knew from everything that his grandmother had told him when he was a kid that his father had never had anything like a childhood. He had always been expected to be proper and perfect and everything that the heir of a pure blood family should be. So he indulged his dad as much as he could.  _Besides, who will indulge him if I don't?_ he thought and he sighed.

"What is it?" Albus said.

"Sometimes I forget just how lonely my dad is..."

...

Albus was nervous. It was not like didn't see Professor Malfoy every day, but this was different. This was a father wanting to get to know his son's boyfriend. And Albus desperately wanted to impress. He was willing to admit, in the privacy of his own head that Scorpius was probably too good for him. He was willing to admit that to Scorpius as well, but he didn't want Draco Malfoy thinking that. It didn't help that he was a bit in awe of the man either. Professor Malfoy had been his favourite teacher since his first day of school and not just because he taught Albus' favourite subject. He was an excellent teacher and probably the most intelligent person that Albus had ever met.

Albus loved the way Scorpius spoke about his dad. It was obvious that the two of them had the kind of relationship that was hard to find among fathers and their teenage sons. Draco was clearly a doting father and would therefore be unwilling to admit that anyone was good enough for his son. Which brought Albus back to the reason that he was nervous in the first place. He looked at himself in the mirror again, checking his robe, trying to fix his hair...Frank was lying on his bed and watching him.

"What's going on Al? If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a date," Frank said.

Albus coloured a little. "Nothing of the sort," he said

"Just off to see Scorpius then," Frank said. He sounded entirely too innocent.

Albus frowned wondering what Frank was getting at. "Perhaps," he said.

"So you're good friends huh! You certainly seem to spend a lot of time together."

"Uh...huh." Albus tried to sound noncommittal.

He sat on his bed and started putting on his shoes, trying to ignore Frank and his obvious curiosity.

"You can tell me, you know," Frank said softly.

"Tell you what?"

"About you and Scorpius."

Albus froze. "What about me and Scorpius?"

"I know that you're together..."

"I can't believe that Rosie told you."

"Lily let it slip actually. I'm your best mate, Al. I can't believe you felt like you had to hide this from me." He sounded a bit hurt. "Don't tell me you thought that I wouldn't understand."

Albus sighed. "I'm sorry Frank. It's not that I don't trust you. I just wanted to keep it quiet for a while. Scor and I...we're still getting used to each other. We didn't want all the attention and the drama that would follow if we told everyone."

"Isn't it hard, though? I can't imagine having to keep a distance from Rosie and think about where we are and who's watching all the time."

"It is very hard. When I see him every morning all I want to do is pull him into a hug and kiss him. I meet him between classes and I want to reach for his hand without thinking about it. But..."

"Then why keep it a secret?"

"I just want to wait until I get home for Christmas before I tell my folks. I know that mum won't like it at all. She's never got over her distrust of the Malfoys. Jamie will flip out. You know how he's been all week and Fred has been trying to talk me out of my friendship with Scor. How do you think they'll react when they find out that he's actually my boyfriend?"

"And Jamie will waste no time in telling mum and Uncle Ron as well. All this will happen whether I tell them now or later, at home, but at least then I'll have dad backing me and Scor won't be there, so no one can be nasty or mean to him...That's the one thing that worries me the most. I guess I'm hoping that the holidays will give everyone time to get used to it before we get back to school...I know how messy this can get. I'm just trying to contain the damage."

"I guess that makes sense. So where are you off to then?"

"Scor's dad invited us both to dinner in his rooms tonight."

"Meeting the father already? No wonder you're nervous."

"I'm terrified."

"Where are you meeting Scorpius?"

"Ravenclaw common room."

"I'll go with you. It'll give me a chance to see Rosie. She's been very busy today."

They got to the Ravenclaw common room and got in, thanks to Albus' ability to answer tricky questions posed by pesky portraits.

"Why can't they just have a password like normal people?" Frank grumbled as he stepped into the room.

"They're Ravenclaws, Frank. They're driven to prove themselves or haven't you met Rosie?" Albus said as he followed his friend inside.

Frank could only chuckle in reply. They stood there for a minute and took in their surroundings. It was very different from the Gryffindor common room. It was bigger and there was all the blue and bronze which to Albus at least, said cool and comfortable. The chairs and couches were spread widely across the room and most of the students sat in quiet groups of three or four unlike the Gryffindor tendency to sit in large groups and make a lot of noise. Gryffindor was warm and cosy, but Ravencalw was peaceful.

Rose and Scorpius were in a corner over on the other side of the room and they hadn't seen their boyfriends yet. So Albus and Frank walked over to them, feeling a bit surprised that no one paid any attention to them. It would be impossible for someone from another house to enter the Gryffindor common room and not have to answer a hundered questions.

Rose was sitting at the piano. She seemed to be working on an unfamiliar piece of music. She would stop every few seconds and stare at the music with a frown on her face and then try again and stop again and try again...smiling in triumph when she got it right.

Scorpius stood next to her, brush in hand, staring at a half finished painting. It was an image of Rosie at the piano. He had a hand on his hips and a look of intense concentration on his face. He would look at her and back to the painting, add a few strokes and then look at her again and add another few strokes...He stopped once and pushed her hair out of her eyes and turned her face this way and that. It seemed that Rose was used to this sort of thing. She didn't protest once. She just went on playing as if nothing particularly unusual was going on.

The two Gryffindors were fascinated to see their partners like this, unguarded, and in their natural environment. So they stood a few feet away and watched in silence. Albus was totally taken by the painting. It was far from finished. It was little more than a few brush strokes...an outline of the face and her form. But Scorpius had already captured a certain ineffable something in the expression on her face that was very typically Rose at work...complete with the frown, the slight crinkling of her lips and the light in her eyes as she worked to master something that was difficult.

"I can't believe I haven't seen his paintings before," Albus said.

"I haven't heard Rosie play either. They take 'shy' to a whole new level, these two."

"I know. It's one of the things we love about them, though."

"True. Look at them. They're so comfortable together...so content. I'm jealous almost," Frank said softly.

"Me too. But it's been just them for the last five years."

"I'm surprised they let us into their lives."

"You barrelled your way in Frank."

"Details...details."

Scorpius turned round just then and saw them. He made a hasty attempt to cover the painting and Rose stopped playing.

"How long have you too been standing there?" she demanded.

"Long enough to realise that you two seem perfectly content without us," Frank said.

"As if the you ever think about me when you're on the quidditch pitch," Rose countered.

"True. But I don't stop playing just because you turned up to watch," Frank replied with a smirk.

Rose had to smile. "Fine. Sit. I'll play for you."

Albus meanwhile was studing the painting in silence. "It's beautiful," he said.

"Thanks."

"Could I see more of your paintings?"

Scorpius looked a bit uncomfortable. "Maybe later," he said.

"Why?"

_Because a lot of my paintings are portraits of you and I'm not sure I want to share that yet_ , Scorpius thought. But he didn't say anything. He just looked a bit sheepish.

"Not ready to share that part of yourself yet?" Albus said softly.

"Yes...in a way."

"It's okay, love. I understand." Albus said.


	11. Chapter 11

Scorpius sighed. "I want to show them to you...just not now. I'd rather have you all to myself, when I do."

"Okay," Albus said. He had a vague feeling that he was missing something, but he had no idea what it could be, so he let it go.

"I think we should go," Scorpius said and he quickly put away his things.

They walked down to the dungeons, talking all the while. Albus began to get nervous again. Scorpius looked around to make sure that the corridor was as deserted as it looked. He grabbed his boyfriend by the hand and pushed him against the wall. He cast an impervious around them, so they couldn't be seen by accident and then he kissed him softly...long lingering little kisses that made Albus relax in spite of himself. Albus sighed and he pulled Scorpius into a hug, feeling a bit overwhelmed by his affection for him. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes. Then they undid the charm and made their way to Draco's chambers. They stood outside and looked at each other for a moment.

"He already likes you. You have nothing to worry about," Scorpius said.

"Why am I so sure that I will make a fool of myself?"

"You won't. I promise. And in the unlikely event that you do, I'll rescue you."

"My hero," Albus whispered with a smile.

"Prat!" Scorpius said as he knocked on the door.

Draco opened the door. He smiled warmly at both the boys as he let them in. Albus smiled back as he walked in and looked around curiously. They were in a largish living room that was very tastefully done up in shades of blue and grey. Albus was a bit surprised. He'd been expecting a certain amount of green, considering that Draco was the head of Slytherin house.  _Stereotyping_ , he thought to himself as he shook his head. An entire wall was lined with bookshelves. There was a couch and a few very comfortable looking armchairs and a few pieces of art arranged, seemingly at random. The space above the mantel was dominated by a large portrait of Severus Snape. The man in the portrait was sitting in his arm chair and reading. He seemed to sense Albus' scrutiny. He looked up.

"And who might you be, young man? You remind me of a brat I once knew," he said in that very precise and clipped manner of his.

"I'm Albus Potter, sir."

"Ah! The son of the boy who lived," Snape said with a sneer.

"Yes sir. Albus Severus Potter."

Snape's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "Are you telling me that Harry Potter named his son after me?" He sounded affronted almost.

"Yes sir," Albus said.

"The gall of that boy!"

"Oh drop the act, Severus. We all know that you don't really hate Harry. In fact, I don't think you ever did," Draco said.

"Hmmmf..." Was all that Snape would say to that.

"What do you know about me, boy?" He said, turning to Albus.

"My father told me that you were the bravest man that he ever knew," Albus said.

Snape only huffed in response, though it was obvious that he was trying very hard not to look pleased. Draco laughed. "You need to work harder on that mask, Severus. It's slipping," he said.

Snape shot him a glare and turned to Albus again. "So tell me boy," he said. "Are you miserable at potions as well?"

"I believe he takes after you there, Severus. The boy is brilliant. Best I've ever taught," Draco said.

Albus flushed under the praise. "Really?" Snape said. "Now who would have thought?" He continued to regard Albus curiously. Then he shook his head. "Well, this has all been very interesting, but I need to go have a word with Albus...Dumbledore," he added and got up to leave.

"Right. It's time for your daily...uh meeting," Draco said with a smirk.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Minerva tells me that you and Dumbles spend hours gossiping every evening."

"I do not gossip," Snape hissed.

"Right. Of course. You just sit around discussing everyone under the sun."

Snape's only response was to huff and walk away. "I'm just calling it like I see it," Draco called after him. That comment made Snape come back into the frame.

"Is that another of those strange expressions that you picked up from reading all those muggle books?"

"Yes."

"Why do you read them?"

Scorpius put his hand on Albus' arm and led him to the couch. "Sit. They'll go on like this for a while," he said.

"Sounds like an argument they've had before," Albus said.

"Oh! Many times..."

"Because they're interesting," Draco said. "I know I've said this before but muggle literature really is fascinating. and extensive. Wizards have nothing like it. We can do magic, but we just cannot tell a good story."

"But what is the point of reading stories? There's nothing to be learned from them. Stories are for children."

"The point is fun, Severus. I read fiction because I enjoy it. And what makes you think there is nothing to learn from it?"

Snape looked puzzled, like he had no idea what having fun was. "But why would you want to read about muggles and their doings?"

"They are stories about people Severus. Muggle or wizard, does it matter, really?"

"You sound like a bloody Hufflepuff!"

"Better Hufflepuff than ice prince, don't you think?"

"I don't understand you, Draco."

Draco shook his head in exasperation. "Oh go on. I'm sure Dumbles is getting impatient. And I am neglecting my guests."

"Guests? Since when do students count as guests?" He said, looking curiously at the two boys.

"None of your business. Now go," Draco said and he turned away from the frame. Snape threw one last look at the boys and left with his robes billowing dramatically around him.

"He always leaves like that," Scorpius said.

"He is nothing if not dramatic," Draco said. "I'm sorry, Albus. Severus and I tend to go on sometimes."

"It's okay, sir. It was...entertaining," Albus said.

"Be glad he didn't hear you say that...Anyway, that's enough about him. Would you boys like some butterbeer?"

Both the boys nodded. Draco handed them the drinks and sat down. Conversation flowed quite easily after that. Albus had been intrigued by that whole exchange between Draco and Snape about muggle literature, so he asked Draco about it and soon they were confessing to a mutual love of science fiction. This led to a discussion about their favourite books and writers. Draco tended to favour Jules Verne and H.G Wells. Both Albus and Scorpius felt that Wells was too doom and gloom for their taste, though they agreed with Draco that Verne was brilliant. Scorpius insisted that Arthur C Clarke was by far the best of them. Albus agreed to some extent but he insisted that Asimov and Heinlein were probably the better writers. And so they went on through dinner, talking, arguing, laughing and generally having a very good time.

Draco had been fond of Albus before, but seeing him as he did now; he was more convinced than ever that he was good for Scorpius. He had been watching them intently all evening. The boys had both been a bit awkward with each other in the beginning. They were so used to hiding their relationship that it seemed they couldn't decide how open they could be around him. Albus was understandably, the more nervous of the two. But as the evening wore on, they relaxed and Draco was able to see what they really were like with each other...all the secret smiles, the casual touches and the wordless communication. Their fondness for each other was obvious. It made him happy. If it gave him a pang of envy, well, he wasn't about to admit it.

...

It was about an hour later. The boys had both gone back to their dorms. Draco was sitting in his armchair, with a glass of wine in his hand and a thoughtful expression on his face. He was thinking about Harry and their tentative friendship. It had started as a professional association about a year ago. Harry had approached him and asked for help with one of his cases. Over the last few months they had grown comfortable with each other and Draco had taken a genuine liking to Harry...enough to wish for his friendship. But Harry never approached him unless it was about work and Draco had never made an attempt at friendship. He had wanted to, but he doubted that it would be welcome.

He wished that they could be friends...share the occasional drink and the odd conversation, but he had no idea how to go about accomplishing that. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed and then he decided to stop thinking about it. He emptied his glass and got up and stretched. He had a whole bunch of assignments to grade, a job that he'd been putting it off all day. He walked up to his desk and sat down reluctantly. This was the one part of his job that he truly hated. He picked up the first assignment and started reading. He was about half way through when he heard the Floo chime. There was only one person in his life that would make a Floo call or visit him at this time of the night. The thought of that person made him smile. If his heart rate went up a little, well, he was just going to ignore that. He turned around to see Harry's head sticking out of the flames.

"Draco?"

"Right here."

"Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure. Do you want to come through?" Draco said and he got up to stand in front of the fire place.

"Okay."

Harry stepped out of the floo, stumbling as always did. Draco put a hand out to steady him.

"You're never going to learn to do this properly, are you?" He remarked dryly.

"Let's just say I've given up on that one," Harry said. He sounded exhausted.

"Harry, you look awful."

"Thanks. That's just what I like to hear at the end of a long day."

"I just meant that you look dead on your feet," Draco said mildly.

"Sorry. You're right. I've had a long day and I'm just about ready to drop head first onto the floor."

"Sit," Draco said as he pushed him gently towards the arm chair. He walked across to the table at the other side of the room.

"What are you doing?" Harry said as he relaxed into the armchair.  _Damn! This is comfortable_ , he thought.

"Getting you a drink. You look like you could use one. Firewhisky?"

"Sure. Thanks," Harry said as he leaned back and closed his eyes. He was so very tired. It seemed that he was tired all the time these days. He opened his eyes when he heard Draco settle into the chair opposite. He took the offered drink with a murmured thank you.

Draco sat and waited for Harry to finish his drink. "I'm here about that Brighton case," Harry said.

"Of course you are," Draco said. He sounded a little bitter...or so Harry thought.

"Is something wrong?" he said.

"Nothing. It's just a bit irritating that the only reason you ever come to see me is work," Draco said.

"Um...Why else would I be here? It's not like we're friends," Harry said with a bluntness that he immediately regretted.

"It's not like we couldn't be..." Draco said, hoping that he didn't sound too pathetic.

"No. It's not..." Harry said softly. An awkward silence settled around them after that. Neither of them seemed to know what to say.

"So what about the case then?" Draco said finally.

"Oh! We solved it. We caught that Milton chap today. All thanks to you, really. If you hadn't told me about those suppliers, I don't think I'd ever have tracked him down."

"Well, good."

"So I need to get the paperwork done and filed."

"You're here because you need my report," Draco said. Harry heard that hint of bitterness in his voice again but he chose to ignore it.

"That and a few signatures," Harry said as he drew a couple of parchments from his pocket.

This was the point where Draco would write the report and sign the papers and Harry would take them and leave. But he didn't want to do that today. He wanted Harry to stay and maybe talk a while.

"Have you had dinner?" he asked casually.

"No," Harry said.

"Would you like some? I had Scorpius over for dinner earlier and there's plenty of food left..." he said feeling a little out of his depth. "Unless your wife is waiting for you at home, of course, as she probably is..." Draco realised that he was rambling.

Harry snorted. "That'll be the day!" he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Ginny is rarely at home. She...travels a lot for her job. You know that she works for ' _The_   _Prophet_ ,' right?"

"She's their resident quidditch expert. I know. You...didn't answer my question," Draco said.

Harry was puzzled by Draco's behaviour. He had never made an attempt to be friendly before. So why now? He didn't understand it, but he didn't want to reject the friendly overture. He certainly had no reason to dislike Draco anymore...

"Does, 'I'm starving. Thank you so much for the offer.' serve as an adequate response?" He asked.

"It does," Draco said with a hint of a smile. "Come on then." He led the way to the dining table and served the food. Harry ate in silence while Draco wrote his report. The food was delicious. He couldn't help but compare it to the hastily thrown together meal that he would've had if he had gone home instead. _When was the last time that someone noticed that I was tired and hungry and tried to take care of me?_ he wondered, suddenly feeling very alone.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry ate his meal in a thoughtful silence. He was contemplating the state of his marriage as he had done so often lately. It was always the same question. When and where had things gone so horribly wrong? And as always, he had no answers. He and Ginny had drifted apart over the years until they found themselves at a place where they didn't have much of a marriage left. The worst thing perhaps, was that they had somehow let their marriage deteriorate without ever talking about it or trying to fix it. And now they were stuck in a life in which they rarely spent any time together.

Harry was always working and so was Ginny. Her job required her to travel quite a bit. It had always been like that, but lately it seemed that Ginny was always away unless the kids were home for the holidays. In fact, he suspected that she probably chose the kind of assignments that required her to travel, just so she wouldn't have to spend too much time around him. Not that he could blame her, really. Things were so strained between them that it was very stressful to be in the same house unless the kids were around to take the pressure off, somewhat. Harry sighed as he felt another wave of loneliness wash over him.

He felt Draco's eyes on him and pulled himself out of his thoughts.

"All done?" He said, indicating the report.

Draco nodded as he handed it over.

"Thanks for the meal," Harry said. "I'd forgotten how good the food at Hogwarts can be."

"One of the many joys of working here, I have to say."

Harry looked at Draco curiously for a moment. "You know it never fails to surprise me that you became a teacher," he said.

"Why?"

"Because...well, I suppose I always thought that you'd want to be a politician or a businessman, like your father."

"Those were always his ambitions for me. But I never wanted any of that. And then of course, the war happened and my misdeeds took away any chance I might have had to become a politician..."

"That still doesn't explain why you ended up in teaching."

"You really want to know?" Draco was surprised.

Harry nodded.

"Well, I had always wanted to be a potion maker. I thought I would have an apothecary someday. But none of the potion masters in England were willing to train me...it was right after the war and the Malfoy name was a bit of a curse just then."

"That's why you moved to France."

"Yes. Mother and I went to stay with grand mere for a while...I got accepted as an apprentice and three years later I had my potions mastery. But things were still less than good for us in England. All our assets were tied up in litigation. So I didn't have the money to set up shop. I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do when I got an offer from Beaubaxtons and I took it. I told myself that it was temporary and that someday I would have the apothecary that I had always dreamed about. But I found that I enjoyed teaching...rather a lot actually. So I stuck with it."

"What made you move back to England?"

"Scorpius."

"Your son?"

"I wanted him to study at Hogwarts. He could have gone to Beaubaxtons, but I guess I wanted him to go to the same school that I had gone to, just so we could share a little bit of that history. Besides, he had already spent the first eleven years of his life in France and he was turning into a Frenchman...which isn't exactly a bad thing, but I didn't want him to be so completely cut off from his English roots. And it helped that the Ministry finally decided to give me back my home and my money...after they took hefty chunk out of it of course."

"Wait...are you telling me that they took more than ten years to give you back what was yours in the first place?"

"Fifteen years, actually."

"That's atrocious! Why didn't you protest?"

"Who would have listened or bothered to help?"

"I would have!"

"Maybe. But I already owed you too much. There was no way I was going to ask for another favour. Besides, we were okay. My salary as a teacher was decent. We had my grandmother's house to live in. We were fine. My only regret is that mother died before we could come back home."

"And the job here?"

"McGonagall offered me the position about a year after I got back to England. I had been making plans for my apothecary then, but I couldn't pass up a chance to be near Scorpius. That boy is pretty much my whole life."

Harry was surprised by the intensity of feeling behind those words. He had never imagined that Draco would be a doting father. From this and from a few other things that he had let slip in the course of their meetings, Harry had concluded that Draco and his son were very close. That thought forced him to acknowledge that somewhere along the way he had lost that kind of closeness with his own children. It made him envious. It made him hurt.

"You seem very close to your son," he said.

"Oh I am. It's only natural, I suppose. I mean we only have each other."

"And his mother?"

"Died in childbirth..."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"So you raised him on your own."

"Yes. Mother and grand mere helped as long they were around. But for the last ten years, it's been just us."

"You said you had him over for dinner today? Do you do that often?"

"A couple of times a week, maybe."

Harry felt that pang of envy again. Somehow this conversation was making it very clear to him that he needed to fix a lot of things in his life.

"When you came back to England, weren't you worried about Scorpius? It couldn't have been easy for him to fit in at Hogwarts, after all that time in France."

"Not to mention the fact that some people still had a prejudice against me and thought that it was okay to treat my son badly because of that," Draco said. Harry flushed at the thought that Ginny and Ron were among those people.

"But," Draco continued, "Luckily for us, a little read headed girl took it into her head that she liked my son rather a lot and that she wanted him for a friend. And Rose, being every inch her mother's daughter, is one scary witch. Even James learned very quickly not to cross her."

"Are you telling me that Jamie used to pick on Scorpius?"

"Rather a lot. But only in the beginning. Rose hexed him a couple of times and then he learned to lay off. It did have the rather unfortunate effect of Scorpius being dubbed Rose's shadow, but people left him alone after that."

"I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't know anything about this."

"Neither did I, at the time. Scorpius told me very much after the fact."

They sat in silence for a while after that...Draco reached for the bottle of firewhisky and poured them a couple of drinks.

"Can I ask you something?" He said.

"Sure."

"Why do you work so hard?"

"What makes you think that I work too hard?"

"Because you've never come here before nine in the night. You always Floo in straight from work and frequently go back to your office instead of going home. You've even dropped in here on Saturday nights after a full day of work. So yes, I think you work too hard."

"You've...noticed all that..."

"Yes. Again, why?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Why did you just ask me all those things about my life?"

"I wanted to know a little more about you..."

"Same reason. Though I have to admit that there is a little bit of concern in there as well."

"Concern?" Harry was as surprised as he looked.

"Strange as it may seem, yes. I don't think anyone should be working that hard. It can't be good. And stop evading my question."

"I work hard because I have to?"

"I'm not an idiot. Try again."

Harry ran his hand through his hair a sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. But somewhere along the way I became a workaholic. My work became my life."

"And you regret it..."

"Yes." And he did. So much. It's just one of many regrets, he thought ruefully. What was wrong with him? Why had he let his life get away from him like this? Again, when and how had things gone so wrong?

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I feel so old sometimes," he said.

"Huh! Join the club."


	13. Chapter 13

A couple of weeks went by and Albus and Scorpius had grown so comfortable with each other that neither of them could remember what living without the other had been like. It was about an hour before dinner and Albus had just got back from Quidditch practice. He took a quick shower and set off to find Scorpius. He was in the Ravenclaw common room working on that painting of Rose that he'd started nearly two weeks ago. He smiled when he caught sight of Albus.

"It's coming along well," Albus said.

"Thanks."

"Where's Rosie?"

"In the library. Frank was going to meet her there. How was practice?" Scorpius said as he led them to a couple of armchairs in the corner.

"Stressful, exhausting, manic..."

"Lily's really pushing you, huh?"

"She's always pretty intense about practice, but she's gone crazy now that we're preparing for a game against Slytherin. She would've kept us on the pitch for another couple of hours if the other team hadn't shown up for practice."

"It's only natural, I suppose. It is a must win game."

"It's amazing how little I care." Albus looked exhausted. "I will play my best and try to help us win of course, but this is it. I cannot do this anymore. It takes too much out of me. And it leaves me with too little time for anything else."

Scorpius looked intently at his boyfriend. "You look like you could use some cheering up," he said. "Come up to the dorm with me?"

Albus' eyes widened. "What sort of cheering up do you have in mind?"

"The best kind," Scorpius said with a wink.

"Let's go then."

They went up to the dorm. It was deserted. Scorpius closed the door and put up a couple of locking and silencing spells. They turned to each other and smiled and then they slowly walked into a hug. They held each other for a minute, revelling in the closeness and then they kissed. It was soft and gentle, they took their time, but it slowly became passionate and needy...Scorpius led Albus to his bed. The fell into bed and they continued to kiss as they got rid of their clothes...Soon they had their hands and mouths all over each other and they were lost in a tangle of sheets and a haze of pleasure. They lay in each other's arms afterward as they tried to calm their hearts and their breaths.

"Well, this is something to come home to," Albus said as he ran his fingers through Scorpius' hair marvelling at how soft it felt.

Scorpius laughed. He put his hand on Albus' face and caressed him gently. "Do you know how hot you are?" He said.

"I may have an idea," Albus said archly, "But you'll have to do more...to convince me of my hotness."

"More huh? Okay," Scorpius said and started to get out of bed. Albus grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him back.

"Where are you going?" He said.

"I just want to show you something."

"What?"

"Let me up and I'll show you."

Albus pulled him in for a quick kiss and then he let go. Scorpius pulled a large box out from under his bed. It was full of folders and drawing books and sketch books. He took out one of the folders and sat on the bed. He gave it Albus and asked him to take a look. Albus opened it and he gasped. He was looking at an exquisite painting of...himself. It was incredible...

Scorpius had painted him lying on a patch of grass under a tree. He had a smile on his face and he was looking at a butterfly hovering right above him. The portrait was obviously charmed. The grass in the painting was moving gently; the leaves of the tree fluttered and glowed wherever they caught the sunlight. The butterfly was flying around in little circles. Albus though, was perfectly still, except for his eyes which moved just a tiny bit, almost like he was following the movement of the butterfly.

Everything in the painting was vivid. The colours practically glowed. But what caught Albus was his face...every line, every contour was drawn with loving care. There was a light in his eyes, an expression of mirth almost. This was an image of Albus in a quietly happy moment. He looked at his body as Scorpius had drawn it and he could sense the appreciation in the eye of the artist. It made him feel so loved and so warm...When had Scorpius ever seen him like this? When had he drawn this?

"Scor...I'm...I don't know what to say. This is incredible. It's exquisite. It makes me feel so happy, and not just because it's me that you've drawn here, though that is the part that has me stunned. When did you draw this?"

Scorpius didn't reply. He pointed to the bottom right hand corner of the painting. There, barely visible in the grass, was Scorpius' signature and the date. It took Albus a moment to make it out, but when he did, his eyes widened in surprise.

"You painted this more than a year ago..." he said.

Scorpius looked rather self conscious as he nodded. "I've been painting portraits of you for the last two years," he said.

"You mean there are more?"

"That folder is all you."

Albus turned the page and he saw image after image of him...on a broom, flying with the wind blowing through his hair, sitting at the table and reading while running a hand idly through his hair, sitting at a window and looking out, standing the potions lab with a look of intense concentration on his face. It went on and on. Scorpius had captured him in every possible mood. All the portraits were charmed so that every little thing moved, but Albus was always still. And each portrait was so lovingly executed. Just looking at them told you of the depth of feeling that the artist had for his subject.

"Scor...they are incredible. The painting is exquisite and the charm work that you've done...I don't know what charms you've used, but I can tell that that they're pretty complicated and hard to do. This stuff is brilliant. I'm running out of superlatives here. You are amazing. Do you know that?"

Scorpius was blushing under all that praise and he was smiling as well. "Thanks," was all he managed to say.

"How did you paint all these when I never sat for you?"

"I watched you...a lot."

"You did? Well you were certainly very discreet. I never noticed anything."

"You are kind of oblivious, love."

"True...so what else did I not notice?"

"That I've had a crush on you for the last two years..."

Albus had suspected something like this the moment he saw the date on that first painting, but it was still a surprise to hear it.

"Two years?"

"Uh..huh."

"And you didn't say anything..."

"What was I supposed to say? I could hardly just come up to you and tell you that I like you, now could I?"

"No. But you could at least have talked to me and made an attempt to get to know me. In fact, you seemed to be going out of your way to avoid me all that time. Why?"

Scorpius looked like he was about to say something and then he blushed and looked away. Albus put the folder aside and pulled him close. Scorpius was still not ready to look at him. So he buried his head in the curve of Albus' neck and sighed.

"Tell me," Albus said as he gently ran his hand through his boyfriend's hair.

"I was convinced that you were straight and that you would never look at me that way."

"Can't say I blame you. I thought I was straight too...until you seduced me with your beautiful face and your utterly gorgeous body..." Albus said softly, knowing full well the effect that his words would have on Scorpius.

Scorpius blushed and squirmed, but Albus held him tight. "That still doesn't explain why you wouldn't talk to me," he said.

"It was difficult to keep my composure around you. I had to struggle not to blush and...I was always afraid that I would say or do something inappropriate."

"Well I wish you had tried to talk to me and stuttered and blushed and inappropriately tried to kiss me or something. I would have noticed how gorgeous you are and then I would've jumped you and we would've ended up together sooner...Do you realise, that because of you we lost two years of being together?" Albus said in mock indignation.

"Sorry?"

"You think you can get away with sorry?"

"Maybe I can make it up to you."

"Hmmm...Maybe. But it won't be easy." Albus said. "You'll have to do a lot of hugging and kissing and caressing and loving..."

"I think I can manage that."

"Go on then," Albus said and he lay back on the bed and sighed in pleasure as Scorpius straddled him and started kissing his way down his body. He couldn't believe his luck. It was incredible to him that someone as amazing as Scorpius could like him so much. He didn't think that he deserved Scorpius at all. _But I am going to keep him and make him as_   _happy as I can_ , he thought, as he drew Scorpius to him and began to kiss him thoroughly. It was a long time before they emerged only to realise that they had been so happily wrapped up in each other that they had missed dinner and would now have to go down to the kitchens...not that they cared, really.

...

Rose was at dinner with Frank and Lily. Lily was as usual mooning and trying not to make it obvious as she stared at Jeremy Nott every couple of seconds. Rose noticed, of course. She also noticed that Jeremy seemed to be pointedly not looking in their direction every time he lifted his head. It was almost as if he was aware of Lily's interest and was actively trying to ignore it. That didn't bode well.

"See, he doesn't even want to look at me," Lily said sounding dejected.

"Did something happen?" Rose said.

"I don't know. He's been all quiet and distant for the past couple of weeks. I just assumed that he had something on his mind and that he would soon cheer up, but he didn't. I asked him about it in Potions class today and he told me very politely that I should stay out of his business and then he wouldn't look at me or talk to me at all. It's like he's angry with me. But I don't know what I did."

"Maybe it has nothing to do with you. Maybe he really has something on his mind."

"What's with the pointedly not looking at me then?"

"Hmmm...Can't explain that. Did you tell anyone that you like him?"

"What? Of course not."

"There's something definitely wrong then," Rose said.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to Scor. We'll figure something out."

Lily nodded. She looked pretty miserable.

"You really like him, don't you?"

"Yeah," Lily replied in a slightly choked voice and then she quickly got up and left.

Frank had been talking to Louis all this while. So he didn't hear any of this or notice Lily leave. Rose was glad. She knew that Lily wouldn't want anyone to know how upset she was.

"Where's Lily?" he said, when he finally turned around.

"She just left. She said she had to talk to Amy about something."

Frank looked around the hall and noticed that Albus wasn't at dinner and neither was Scorpius.. _.Hmmm. Interesting. I think I have pretty good idea what they're doing,_  he thought and he couldn't help smiling...

"What's that smile all about?" Rose said.

"I just noticed that our two best mates are missing," he said softly.

"They're probably up in Scor's dormitory." She said with a smile of her own. "I'm so happy that they got together."

"I know. There's something about those two, you see them together and it just feels right, like they belong together or something."


	14. Chapter 14

It was mid morning. Harry sat in his office with a pile of paper work in front of him. It was the one part of his job that he truly hated. Becoming head auror was something he had resisted for as long as he could. But he had ended up there anyway. According to him, it was the most boring job in the auror corps. All he had to do was hold meetings, give out assignments and sign off paper work. His stubbornness was the only reason he got out into the field at all.

He'd been working on a case all of last week and he had steadfastly ignored all the paper that had piled up on his desk. Now that the case was solved, he was trapped in his office by his secretary who had threatened not to let him go until he'd tackled at least half of that mountain of paper. He sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair. He had a cup of coffee...then he picked up the next report, scanned it, signed it and tossed it aside. It was going to be a long day.

He was interrupted by the sound of tapping on his window. He looked up. It was Lana, Albus' owl. He opened the window and let the bird in. He untied the parchment from her leg and gave her an owl treat. Lana hooted her thanks and flew out. Harry was always happy to get letters from his kids, though Albus was the only one who wrote to him regularly. Lily and James seemed just too busy with their lives. He unrolled the parchment and started to read. As usual, there was no salutation of any kind. Albus always started his letters as if they were already in the middle of a conversation. Harry found it rather endearing.

_This is my fifth attempt at writing this letter. Writing to you should not be difficult, I know, but there it is. I have a few things on my mind that I need to talk to you about. And before you start worrying, I'm not in any kind of trouble. I've been making a few decisions about my life that I want to share with you. I could use some advice and a lot of support._

_I know I'm being all mysterious. I don't mean to. It is just that I don't want to put any of this in a letter. I had intended to talk to you when I got home for Christmas, but I'm starting to think that it may not be a good idea to wait that long. Do you think you could make the time to come and see me at school?_

_And could you please not let Jamie and Lily know. I know that it sounds like a strange request, but I have my reasons. Don't say anything to mum either. I know that you're very busy, but I'm hoping you'll find the time to come see me. I love you._

_Al._

Harry was surprised and worried despite his son's assurances that he wasn't in any kind of trouble. He read the letter a couple of times, but it didn't really tell him anything. Albus had chosen his words very carefully. He sighed.  _I'd better do as he says, I guess. But how can I meet him at school without Jamie and Lily knowing about it? McGonagall's office? No. Maybe I could ask Draco. He'll keep quiet about it, I'm sure. What is up with Al, though? He says not to worry, but how can I not? And why the insistence on not telling Ginny? Not that she's around to tell, but still..._

_..._

Harry had initially considered going to Hogwarts the next day, but then he decided that he couldn't wait. So he Floo called Draco just before dinner.

"You're early," Draco said. It was two weeks since he'd last met Harry and he was really glad to see him, though he tried not to let that show.

"Yeah well. I need a favour."

"Sure. Ask away."

"I got a letter from Al this morning. He said he has something that he needs to talk to me about and asked if I could come over to the school and meet him."

"Ah!"

"You know what it is..."

"I think I have an idea, and no I can't tell you."

"What? Why? Why is everyone being so mysterious? Is he in trouble?"

"Not at all. It's just something personal. Get here and he'll tell you."

"He says he doesn't want Lily and Jamie to know."

"Then you can meet him here, in my rooms. Can you come over after dinner?"

"Yeah. If that's okay with you."

"Of course. I'll get a message to him."

"Thanks."

...

Harry stepped through the floo with his usual lack of grace. Draco rolled his eyes but he didn't say anything. Harry noticed and he smiled. Albus was there with another boy...one look was enough to decide that he had to be Scorpius. He looked uncannily like Draco.

"Hi dad," Albus said. He sounded nervous.

"Hi Al. Hello Scorpius," Harry said and he held out his hand.

"Mr Potter. I've wanted to meet you for so long," Scorpius said as he shook the offered hand.

"Call me Harry, please. 'Mr Potter' makes me feel like I'm back at school and Snape is about to insult me yet again."

Scorpius smiled. "I've heard that he used to do that a lot," he said.

"You have no idea. I used to hate potions with a passion."

"Unlike Al, then."

"Hmmm...But Al has a very good teacher who practically dotes on him from what I hear."

"That's true, alright. You should hear Rosie talk about it. She thinks dad can't see anyone other than Al in the classroom."

"Patently untrue," Draco drawled. "I occasionally sneak a look at you and Rosie as well."

Albus looked a bit self conscious but he smiled happily enough. It reassured Harry somewhat.

"Well, I think Scorpius and I will be going now. We'll be in my office," Draco said. "The drinks are over on the table. Feel free to help yourself."

"Thanks," Harry said.

Draco nodded and then he turned to leave.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr...I mean Harry," Scorpius said. Harry nodded and smiled. Scorpius looked at Albus for a moment. And then he left as well.

"So?" Harry said as he settled into an armchair. Albus sat down too. He ran his hands through his hair as he was wont to do when he was nervous. Harry smiled at the sight of that very familiar gesture. He reached over and took his son's hands in his. He squeezed them lightly and told him to relax. "Just tell me, whatever it is," he said.

"I've no idea where to start..." Albus said and then he sighed. "Dad, I'm in a relationship," he said finally.

Whatever Harry had expected, it wasn't this. Being in a relationship was hardly a big deal unless... _Oh...Oh!_

"With Scorpius?" Harry said, deciding that it would be best to be direct.

"What? How?" Albus spluttered.

"You wouldn't be making such a big deal of it if it was a girl. You would just have mentioned it casually in one of your letters. And Scorpius was with you when I got here, though he had no real reason to be. You haven't exactly been friends before. Also the look he gave you before leaving was quite telling. It puzzled me when I saw it, but I understand it now."

Albus just looked his surprise.

"I am an auror, Al. I'm trained to notice these things." Harry had figured it out, but it was no less a shock for all that. "I'm very surprised. I didn't know you liked boys."

"Me neither...not until I got to know Scor."

"And how did that happen?"

Albus told him. It was a sweet little tale and by the end of it Harry was smiling. Scorpius, it seemed was a very special person. And from the things that his son told him, it was obvious that he was a good influence. It seemed like he was getting Albus to think about himself and who he was and what he wanted.

"It'll take me a while to get used to the idea, but I have no issues with any of this, if that's what you're worried about," Harry said.

Albus had expected as much, but it was a still relief to hear it. "Thanks dad," he said as he reached over for a hug.

"It's okay. I'm guessing Lily and Jamie don't know."

"Lily does. She's cool about it. Rosie and Frank know as well."

"Rosie must be happy."

"She's thrilled. Jamie thinks we're just friends and he doesn't like it one bit." And then Albus told him about all the arguments that he had been having with his brother.

"Hmmm...Your mum won't like it either."

"I know. That's why I wanted to talk to you first."

"Look Al, Ginny has never been able to forget what Lucius put her through when she was just eleven years old. I know that it has been thirty years since then, but some scars don't ever heal. And Draco was an insufferable git when we were all at school. He always had something nasty to say about the Weasleys. And Ron nearly died because of him. I know that Draco didn't intend that poison for Ron. I also know the horrible pressure that Draco was under at the time and I forgave him long ago, but your mother hasn't been able to, hasn't wanted to. I know that none of this has anything to do with Scorpius. But she won't see it that way. She will react badly at first. But she's a reasonable person. She'll come around. I'll talk to her, okay."

"Okay."

"And I'll talk to Jamie as well when you come home for Christmas. Though from what you've told me, it seems that you're doing a very good job of asserting yourself. I must say I'm glad about that. I always thought Jamie had too much of a hold on you. In fact, I think he's been fighting with you not because of Scorpius but because he knows that he's losing his hold on you. Jamie is too fond of leading you around to give that up without a fight."

Albus nodded and then he sighed. "There's one other thing that I wanted to talk to you about...I want to quit the Quidditch team."

"What? Why?"

Albus explained as well as he could. Harry understood, of course, but he knew how badly everyone in Gryffindor would react to that. They would see it as nothing short of betrayal.

"Are you sure you want to do this? The team will hate you. And most of the house as well. And if they lose any of their matches, they'll blame it on you."

"I know. I don't want to ditch them either, but I'm tired of playing, dad. I don't want to do it anymore. I just wish this didn't have to be so damn difficult. I'm tired of everyone expecting things from me all the time. Is it so wrong of me to do something that I want for a change?"

"It's not. But it is hardly the done thing to quit the team in the middle of the year."

"I know. But you can't tell me that they would've accepted it if I'd done it in the beginning of the year."

"I guess that's true..." Harry sighed. He knew better than anyone what it was like to have people expect things from you all the time. He had dealt with it by giving in to the expectations most of the time. And he was only just starting to realise how many mistakes he had ended up making. He didn't want his son to do the same. Albus had spent all his life toeing the line. To see him come into his own was refreshing. Harry figured that he had Scorpius to thank for this.

"Al, I don't ever want you to feel that you have to do something just because it is expected of you. Do what feels right. The next few months will be difficult, but if you stick it out and refuse to let anyone pressure you into changing your mind, people will learn to leave you alone. And I'm here whenever you need me. I'll deal with Lily and Jamie if they start giving you a hard time..."

"So you think I'm doing the right thing?" Albus' relief was palpable.

"Yes. I want you to quit worrying about it. And I want to talk to Scorpius as well before you have to go back to your dorm. Shall we go find him?"

"Okay." Albus smiled. It was a smile that Harry hadn't seen on his son's face since he'd been a little kid. It made him happy. It made him want to get to know Scorpius better.  _If_   _that kid can make Al smile like this, he must be pretty damn special_ , Harry thought as they got up and made their way to Draco's office.


	15. Chapter 15

Harry and Albus stood outside Draco's office taking in the scene in front of them. Draco and Scorpius were sitting at the table. Draco was grading assignments while Scorpius did his homework. They sat there with identical expressions of concentration on their faces, the blond hair falling forward even as they brushed it off their faces every other minute. It was an endearing sight. Harry found himself smiling. He turned and saw that his son was smiling as well.

"Dad, you don't still hate Professor Malfoy, do you?" Albus asked. The concern was evident in his voice.

"You're fond of him, huh?" Harry said with a smile.

"Yes. And not just because he's my favourite teacher or because he's Scor's dad. He is a really nice person. I know he was horrible to you when you were at school, but he's changed..."

Harry had to smile at his son's defence of Draco Malfoy of all people. Really, who would've thought? "No Al, I don't hate him. I don't think I ever did, really. In fact I'm starting to realise that I don't actually know him. I have all these impressions of him left over from school and the war...I've been finding out that most of my impressions are wrong. It's funny. I've known him for thirty years and yet I feel like I'm just starting to get to know him."

Draco looked up just then. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, "All okay?" Harry nodded and smiled. Scorpius saw them and he smiled too, but he seemed anxious. Albus went over to reassure him. Draco set his work aside and came over to Harry.

"Let's leave them alone for a bit," he said.

Harry nodded and followed him out. They went into the living room and sat down with a bottle of firewhiskey between them. The boys joined them a few minutes later. Harry poured out a couple of butterbeers for them and they settled down to talk.

...

It was a couple of hours later. The boys had left a while ago. Draco and Harry still sat at the table drinking firewhisky and talking. Harry had found Scorpius really charming and he had told Albus so, much to his son's delight and Scorpius' embarrassment. He couldn't help thinking that Draco had done a wonderful job raising his son. He said as much to him.

"It's the one thing in my life that I'm proud of," Draco said. "The only thing I knew about being a father when I became one was how not to do it. I didn't want to do what my father had done. I didn't want to be the man that he had been. I honestly had no idea what I was doing at first. I just blundered through, trying to do my best..."

"Ironic that...I was the same. I had no idea how to go about being a dad either. I only had my uncle and to some extent Sirius to go by. My uncle was the very worst kind of parent in more ways than one. Sirius was a lot better, but he was reckless to say the least...I thought he was great back then. I still do, but I realise now that he made a better friend than a parent."

"Well, at least you had your wife..."

"Yeah, I had my wife." There was something in the way he said that which made Draco wonder. Harry had said a few things in the past hour and the last time that they had talked even, which made him wonder about his marriage. Why did he always sound either sad or angry every time his wife was mentioned? He wanted to know, but he was sure Harry wouldn't take kindly to questions about his marriage. So he decided to take a sublter, more Slytherin approach.

"Albus told me the other day that you were a stay at home dad for a while," he said, like he was trying to change the subject.

"Ten years," Harry said softly.

"How come?"

"Ginny and I didn't expect to have kids as early as we did and she didn't want to give up her career. I wasn't keen on leaving my kids with their grandmother all day, though Molly told me several times that she would love to have them. She was already taking care of Rosie and Hugo so Jamie and Al would just be two more...I considered it, but...I couldn't do it. I knew she'd take good care of them and all that, but having grown up without parents, I know that nothing and no one can replace them, no matter how much they love you. And I'd wanted kids so badly. I felt like it was the least I could do, to ensure that I was around them as much as possible if their mother couldn't be."

"I know how you feel. I was lucky to be able to have Scorpius with me all those years in Beaubaxtons. I would take him to my classes with me and he would sit at a small table beside me and draw all day," Draco said and then he smiled.

"Good memories?" Harry said.

"Very good...They grow up so quickly. Sometimes I really miss the baby that he used to be. But then I had ony one. Things can't have been easy for you with three small kids. Were you homeschooling them as well?"

"Yeah. There were days when they used to drive me crazy. There were so many times when I wanted to just up and quit. But it was worth all the trouble..."

They sat in silence for a while as parents are wont to do while reminiscing about their kids.

"Ten years huh? Didn't you miss your job?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I did. But it's not like I had a choice..." There was that hint of sadness again.

"Harry, are you happy?" Draco asked abruptly.

Harry was startled by that question. He smiled a bit ruefully and said, "Am I allowed to lie?"

"Is that what you do? Lie to yourself..."

"Most of the time, yes."

"What are you not saying Harry?" Draco said.

Harry sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. He looked down at the table. He was obviously uncomfortable.

"It's okay. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I didn't mean to pry," Draco said.

"That's not it. I do want to answer your question..." Harry said sounding a bit exasperated.

"Hmmm...I see. You find yourself wanting to confide in me, but you're confused by the impulse because you don't understand it. Which brings us back to the whole point of us not really being friends...I guess." He sounded a bit disappointed.

"I'm sorry. Old habits..."

"It's hard to stop seeing me as the enemy is it?"

"It's been a long time since I saw you as my enemy, Draco. After all, we are past the whole Potter-Malfoy thing aren't we?"

"Then what is it?"

"Hermione says I have a hard time opening up, asking for help."

"And since Granger is always right, we can take that as the truth."

Harry looked for a hint of mockery in his tone, but he found none. "Hard as it may be to believe, Harry, I have changed. I used to say all those nasty things about Granger because I was jealous. I hated that she did better than me in all our classes. But I am not a stupid sixteen year old anymore. I don't use words like mudblood and blood traitor. I don't even believe in all that nonsense."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I have all these impressions of you left over from school and they tend to colour the way I think about you. It's not fair of me..."

"You're right. It's not. I guess this is why I wanted us to try being friends. I want to be able to prove to you that I've changed."

"Why? Why does it matter to you what I think?"

_It has always mattered to me, Harry_ , Draco thought. "It matters, okay. You'll just have to take that as a given. The reasons are unimportant. So are you going to treat me like a friend and tell me what's on your mind or not? It is obvious that it has something to do with your wife. You're not doing a particularly good job of hiding that so you might as well tell me. Are you happy?"

Harry took a deep breath and he said, "I'm not. My marriage is strained, to put it lightly. My job is getting monotonous and somehow I've ended up creating a life in which all I ever do is work...so no, I'm not happy and I don't know what the hell to do about it."


	16. Chapter 16

Harry poured himself another drink. It was his fourth of the night. He knew that he was well on his way to getting drunk, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It seemed strange to be sharing his problems with Draco of all people, but it was a relief to talk about his life with someone who was not a Weasley. He was still close to Ron and Hermione, of course, but he couldn't share everything in his life with them...Ron wouldn't take too kindly to complaints about his sister. Not that Harry had complaints or that he blamed Ginny in any way. What he had was a rapidly disintegrating marriage that made it harder and harder to maintain the fiction of happiness in front of his children, his friends and his colleagues. Not to mention the journalists who were always rooting around his life in search of gossip.

Draco let Harry have his silence. He was surprised by what Harry had said though he had expected to hear something like that. That doesn't make any sense, he thought. Then he realised that he had expected the words but not the emotion with which they had been said. Harry sounded like he was genuinely unhappy. He sounded like he was lost. And that was a feeling that Draco had been very familiar with at one point in his life. He looked at Harry now, he saw the unfocussed stare, the pursed lips, the tight frown and the look of misery in his eyes and he realised that he didn't like that sight at all.

He'd figured that Harry had some problems in his marriage, but he was only just starting to realise that the problems were probably serious. He wanted to get Harry to talk about it somehow, but he didn't want to push too much. After all, this little friendship that they had developed was fragile to say the least. He was loath to test the boundaries so soon. So he stayed quiet for a while and then he picked a relatively inoffensive question to ask.

"Why did you become an auror, Harry?'

"Hmmm...Because it was the only thing I knew that I would be good at."

"Nonsense! You would have been brilliant at quidditch if you had tried."

"Yeah. That's what Ginny thought as well. In fact she was hoping that I would go professional with her and we could play and travel together."

"When was this?'

"Around the time we got married."

"But you didn't want that."

"Of course not! That was the last thing I wanted...another reason to be famous. I didn't want all the attention, the travel and the constant moving around. I had done enough of that in that one year when I dropped out of school and went hunting horcruxes. I wanted a quiet life. I wanted a stable home to get back to, every day."

"So you refused."

"I did...and that's when we had our first big fight. Ginny couldn't see what was wrong with being famous. There's nothing wrong with it. She can have as much fame and celebrity as she wants, but I never wanted it. I hate having people stare at me and ask me for autographs and I hate seeing my photograph in the paper...I get enough of that being Harry Potter without adding quidditch to the whole mix."

"What happened then?"

"Ginny kept trying to persuade me and make me understand, but I wouldn't give. So she let it go."

"And that made the auror corps an obvious choice?"

"Kind of...not to mention the fact that that is where everyone expected me to end up."

"And expectations matter so bloody much...I know I wouldn't be doing what I am today if my father hadn't ended up in Azkaban. Though I like to think that after everything that happened in the war, I would have found the courage to defy him. But I guess I'll never know..."

Another silence followed that admission. Harry poured himself yet another drink. Just one more, he told himself. He knew that he was drinking too much, but he felt like he really needed it just then.

"Do you like being an auror?" Draco said after a while.

"I don't hate it."

"You spend most of your waking hours doing something that you 'don't hate'? Harry, why? You do know that you could do anything you wanted, don't you? I mean you're Harry Potter!"

"Exactly. I'm Harry Potter and that has always been the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that all my life people have expected things of me and I don't know, sometimes I just feel so resentful. I feel like I never really got to do what I wanted to do."

"What do you want to do?" Draco asked gently.

"I don't know. I don't think I ever did. There was always something that had to get done and I did it."

"Harry, you do know that don't actually need your job, don't you? From what I hear, there's enough gold in the Potter and Black vaults to last several generations."

"I know. I think about that sometimes, when I've had twelve hours of meetings and paper work and I'm bored out of my brains. But if I quit my job, what would I do all day?"

"Is that a good enough reason to spend twelve hours a day being bored out of your brains?"

"No. I just...I guess I feel trapped."

"Well, let me tell you that you're not."

"What would you do if you were in my place?" Harry said.

"I'd stop caring about what other people think and I'd quit my job and honestly think about what I want to do with my life. You're forty one, Harry. If you don't do this now, you never will and one day your life will be over and all you'll have is a bunch of regrets. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I can't help it. You're much too special to waste your life doing something you don't even like all that much. I guess I want to shake you up and make you see that you really can do anything you want."

"Good luck with that," Harry said and he reached for the bottle of firewhiskey again.

Draco stopped him. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I do think you've had enough for one night."

"One more..."

"No. You need your wits about you. Particularly considering that you will be alone once you go home."

"I hate going home," Harry said like he was speaking to himself. It took a moment for Draco to realise that Harry didn't know he'd said that out loud. So he decided to pretend like he hadn't heard. Harry got lost in his thoughts again for a bit and Draco let him be.

"Draco?" Harry said after a bit.

"Hmmm..."

"Sorry I zoned out."

"It's okay. I know you have a lot to think about."

"And thank you."

"What for?"

"For not asking any questions about Ginny. I don't think I'm ready to talk about that yet."

"I figured."

"And thanks for putting up with me and listening to me ramble about my life..."

"I haven't been putting up with you and you haven't been rambling. You're unhappy. I want to help. That's all there is to it and before you ask me why I care and why I want to help you...that's what friends do for each other, Harry. I want to help you any way I can."

Harry looked up in surprise. Draco was serious about wanting to be his friend. He really seemed to care about Harry's feelings. It was all a bit surreal, considering their history, but it was nice...it warmed him to the see the concern that was obvious in Draco's eyes as he sat across the table from him. So he did the only thing he could think of in his state of near drunkenness. He held out his hand. It would have seemed like a casual gesture to anyone else, but for the two of them, it was loaded with meaning. Draco understood what Harry was trying to tell him. So he smiled and took the offered hand. It felt like they had sealed a deal, made a promise...it felt right.


	17. Chapter 17

At about the same time that their fathers were shaking hands and finally becoming friends, Albus and Scorpius were curled up together in Scorpius' bed, talking softly. Albus hadn't wanted to go back to Gryffindor tower. He was feeling too wound up. He knew Frank would cover for him. So he had sneaked up into Scorpius' dorm and into his bed under the invisibility cloak. He was now lying on his side facing his boyfriend. Scorpius held him close and gently ran his hand up and down his back.

"It'll be fine you know," Scorpius said.

"Yeah. I just dread all the confrontations that I have to go through before things get to fine. Dad's right. Everyone in Gryffindor will hate me. They will not understand why I want to quit the team."

"So you'll be unpopular for a while. It'll be hard, but eventually it will be over. People will get over themselves. They'll have to. You just need to understand that you don't owe anyone anything. No matter what they think."

"You make everything seem so simple."

"That's because it is. You worry too much."

Albus sighed. "I know," he said. He turned to lie on his back and stared at the little ball of light that Scorpius had conjured and thought about his conversation with his dad. He was glad that he had listened to Scorpius and written that letter...It had been really good to talk to his father about everything that had been troubling him.

"I'm glad our dads seem to be getting along," he said after a bit.

"Me too."

"And I told you my dad would like you. He said you're charming...just the word I would use, apart from interesting, beautiful and so very hot."

"Oh shush you," Scorpius said trying not to blush and failing utterly.

Albus laughed, pleased at getting the reaction he was hoping for. "I'm never going to tire of seeing you blush like that," he said as he gently ran his fingers through his boyfriend's hair. Scorpius just snuggled closer and lay quietly listening to Albus' heart beating so close to his own.

"It was good to see dad today. It's been so long since I had some quiet time with him," Albus said.

"Did you tell him that?"

"I wanted to, but then he looked so tired and worn out. And I was already dumping my problems on him. And he was so nice about all of it. I guess I didn't want to make him feel bad for not being around much."

"I understand that, but I still think you should tell him. Maybe he wouldn't let his work take over his life so much if he knew that he was actually being missed."

"What are you saying?"

"Look I'm just guessing here, but with you three being here at school most of the year and your mum travelling as much as she does, your dad is alone most of the time. So what exactly does he have to do but work? Maybe that's just become a habit. You told me he was hardly around last summer. Did any of you complain about that?"

"Um...no."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks you don't miss him at all."

"What? That's ridiculous."

"No it's not. There are some things that need to be said. And you haven't been saying them. Think about it, love. Your dad was at home with you for ten years, doing everything for you and with you. And suddenly you're off at school. It must have left him feeling lonely, particularly since your mum is not around much..."

"You're right. I should tell him."

"Better yet, ask him to take a couple of weeks off work during the holidays and spend time with you. He'll love the idea. It's obvious that he dotes on you."

"Okay," Albus said and then he pulled Scorpius into a quick kiss. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Everything. You make it all seem so simple and obvious...Everything in my life is kind of up in the air right now and I honestly don't know what I would do without you. I told you I'll get really dependent on you."

"And I told you that's a big part of being in a relationship...depending on each other."

"Yeah. It's just that with us it seems a bit like a one way street," Albus said ruefully.

"That is not true at all. I may not ask you for advice, but I need you in my life. Badly. I need you to make me happy, to keep me from getting lost in my books and in my own head. I need you more than you'll ever know. And I like being able to help you. So stop putting yourself down, love...Now quit worrying and go to sleep. It's getting late."

"Yeah. I do have to get up early and sneak out of here somehow."

"I'll be so glad when we don't have to keep this a secret anymore."

"I know."

"Scor..." Albus said after a bit.

"Mmmm...What?" Scorpius said sleepily.

"What made you talk to me finally?"

"What do you mean?" Scorpius said as he tried to stifle a yawn.

"You spent two years avoiding me. So what made you talk to me finally in the library that day?"

"Rosie."

"What?"

"She knew that I had a crush on you and she thought you and I would be perfect together. She told me you weren't entirely straight, you know."

"Is there anything that girl doesn't know?"

"I doubt it. It took her a while to figure you out, but she did."

"When did she know?"

"This summer. She told me you guys went to see your Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill in France and she saw you flirting with a guy in a cafe and then she noticed you checking a few guys out..."

"I wasn't flirting! I was just talking to the guy."

"I'm sure that's what you thought you were doing. I told you, you're oblivious about things like this. So I'll just take Rosie's word for this, okay."

"Humph!"

"No need to get huffy, love. She was right about you, wasn't she?"

"Right. Okay. So she guessed that I'm bi and she told you and then what?"

"This was about the time that Frank had asked her to go out with him for the third time and I was trying to convince her to say yes. So she made a deal with me. She said she'd go out with Frank if I agreed to talk to you. "

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Though I'll admit I was sure that nothing would come of it."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't see how you could possibly be interested in me."

"Idiot!" Albus said fondly. "I was smitten with you by the end of that evening though I didn't know it."

"When did you know?"

"A couple of weeks later, when you got angry with me and stopped looking at me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It made me feel bereft. Though I can't say I knew that was what I was feeling at the time. So I came to talk to you, thinking that we could be friends, maybe. By the end of that day I was thoroughly smitten and I knew it."

Scorpius could only smile happily and hug him close.

"How am I going to get through three weeks without you?" Albus said.

"I don't know. I'm trying not to think about that right now...You could come over to the manor any time you wanted, though."

"Mum would go spare."

"Oh..."

"That doesn't mean I won't come over. Honestly, how long do you think I can go without seeing you? I'll be going crazy by the end of the first day."

"Me too."

...

It was the evening of the next day. Albus had just finished showering after quidditch practice and he went to look for Scorpius in the library. He found Rose sitting alone at their usual table.

"Where's Scor?" He said.

"He's somewhere over there," She said pointing towards the back of the library. "He's with Jeremy."

"Who?"

"Jeremy Nott, the Slytherin chaser."

"Oh! Why?"

"What do you mean why? They're friends...they have been since they were kids. You know, you guys are so close, I keep forgetting that you haven't actually known Scor all that long."

"Yeah," Albus said and he wondered at that strange feeling in his chest. He found that he didn't like the idea that there was something about Scorpius that he didn't know. It was ridiculous to feel that way, he knew that, but that didn't seem to help any. He frowned and walked towards the back of the library, lost in thought and totally unaware of the fact that Rose was still talking to him.

He found Scorpius sitting at one of the tables near the restricted section. He was with Jeremy. They were sitting across the table from each other talking softly. It was obvious that they were trying not to be overheard. Jeremy was frowning. It looked like Scorpius was trying to explain something to him. Then Scorpius put a hand on Jeremy's arm and squeezed, like he was trying to reassure him. It was perfectly innocent, Albus knew that, but he couldn't help the wave of possessiveness that came over him. It was an unfamiliar emotion...unfamiliar and potent. He stood there looking at his boyfriend and trying to process what he was feeling and why, when he realised with a sudden clarity that he was in love.


	18. Chapter 18

Scorpius turned a moment later and saw Albus. He smiled the way he always did. Albus smiled back, trying to look normal.  _I'm in love with him_ , he thought again as he walked over to that table and sat down. He was feeling dazed and a bit sheepish about that sudden rush of possessiveness. He knew he had nothing to worry about. He trusted Scorpius completely. So why had he reacted like that to seeing his boyfriend talking to a guy that Rose had told him was on old friend? After all, he himself hung out with Frank and Liam a lot and Scorpius didn't get jealous of them. He was jerked out of his thoughts when he realised that Scorpius was saying something to him.

"Al, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said, trying to sound normal, but Scorpius wasn't fooled.

"Are you sure? You don't look good at all."

"I'm fine," Albus mumbled.

Jeremy looked curiously between the two of them wondering what was going on. Then he decided that it was none of his business. He had enough of his own troubles to think about. So he said a quick goodbye to Scorpius, nodded to Albus and left. Albus was glad to see him go.

Scorpius stared at his boyfriend for a moment. "What is up with you, love?" He said softly.

Albus groaned and put his head in his hands.  _I feel so stupid. What is going on with me?_

"Al..." Scorpius said gently as he tried to get his hands off his face. "Talk to me..."

Albus had no idea what to say. He was still trying to make sense of his feelings _. I think I feel all jealous and possessive because I've just realised that I love him and I'm scared because I don't know if he loves me or not._ He lifted his head. Scorpius was looking at him with concern and tenderness and love? He couldn't contain himself anymore. "Not here," he said and he got up.

"Room of requirement?"

Albus nodded and started walking out of the library. Scorpius gathered his things and followed. Once they were in the room of requirement and the door had closed behind them, Albus pulled Scorpius to him and proceeded to kiss him thoroughly. He was passionate and aggressive and demanding... Scorpius had absolutely no idea what was going on, but given the way Albus was kissing him, he couldn't have cared less. So he relaxed and let his boyfriend have his way.

Albus had no real idea what he was doing either. He was acting more on instinct than anything else. He really needed to get as close to Scorpius as possible, just then. After a good deal of passionate snogging, they pulled apart a bit and rested their foreheads against each other, trying to catch their breaths. Then Albus lifted his head and looked into those silver grey eyes that he loved so very much. He ran his hand down the side of Scorpius' face, he pushed the blond hair of off his forehead. He gathered his courage and said, "I love you."

Scorpius' eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled an oh so beautiful smile and said, "I love you too." Like it was the most obvious, the most natural thing in the world.

"You do?"

"Of course...Now wait a minute, is this why you looked so dazed back in the library?"

Albus nodded and then he told his boyfriend exactly what had happened, though he was embarrassed to admit to a few of his feelings. He was also unsure as to how Scorpius would react to his admission of jealousy. Scorpius did the one thing that Albus did not expect. He laughed.

"You were jealous of Jeremy?" He said and then he laughed some more and then he pulled Albus into a hug and said, "Do you know how utterly ridiculous and completely adorable that is?"

Albus' cheeks were pink with embarrassment, but he couldn't hold back a smile at the way his boyfriend had reacted. Scorpius was so mature and sensible about everything. In just a few short weeks he had turned Albus' life upside down and now he was in love and quite unable to imagine being without Scorpius. So he let Scorpius pull him onto the couch and then he lay there feeling incredibly happy while Scorpius undressed him and proceed to show him exactly how much he loved him.

**...**

Jeremy walked away from the showers after quidditch practice with a thoughtful frown on his face. He was thinking about everything that Scorpius had told him. He hadn't wanted to listen at first, but now he was starting to wonder.  _Maybe I should try to get Lily alone_   _and talk to her,_  he thought as he walked into the great hall for dinner. He looked at the Gryffindor table as he walked in and he saw that Lily was already there.

She looked up as soon as he entered. She'd been doing that for the last few days and he'd been pretending not to notice. But now he returned that look with a small smile. She smiled back. It was a tentative smile, like she was not sure exactly what was happening. Try as he might he couldn't deny his reaction to that smile, not the thumping of his heart, nor the flutters in his stomach.

He went to the Slytherin table and sat down. Violet Parkinson sidled up to him immediately. He groaned inwardly wondering when she would get it through her thick head that he was not interested in her. Not even a little bit. They had been friends since they were little, but he had never thought of her as anything other than a sister. He tried to ignore her and just focus on his meal and his thoughts and stare at Lily occasionally, but Violet wouldn't let him. She talked nonstop about something or the other. He couldn't shut her up, so he shut her out.

She soon realised what he was doing and that only made her more determined to get his attention. So she got even closer to him than she had been and put her hand around his arm. He tried to pull his arm away gently, but she wouldn't let him. He looked up to see Lily glaring at him and practically attacking her steak with her knife. He sighed and pulled away from Violet.

"What?" She said, looking disgruntled.

"Nothing. Just get off me."

"Why? What's wrong?" She said.

He would've told her, but then he realised that quite a few of the students at the Slytherin table were watching them. He dearly wanted to tell her to stop behaving like he was her boyfriend and go get a life...with someone else. But irritated as he was, he couldn't say any of that just then. Not when so many people were watching. It would just humiliate her and that was the last thing he wanted. So he shook his head and said, "Nothing." Then he got up and walked away. She called after him but he chose to ignore her.

He went to the Ravenclaw table where Scorpius was sitting with Albus.  _When did those two become such good friends? There are almost inseparable these days,_ he thought as he sat across the table from them. Scorpius raised his eyebrows in question. "Violet," he said by way of explanation. Scorpius nodded. Albus had no idea what Scorpius and Jeremy were talking about. But that didn't bother him as much as it might have. Now that he had talked things over with Scorpius, he no longer felt as crazy jealous as he had, just a couple of hours ago.

"Look, I thought about what you said and I think you're right. I should talk to her," Jeremy said with a slightly wary look at Albus.

Albus wondered what that look was all about. "Good," Scorpius said.

"I'll go now. I'll be in the charms class room on the first floor. Do you think you could..."

"Yeah. I'll tell her," Scorpius said.

"Thanks," Jeremy said, then he nodded to Albus, again looking a bit wary and then he turned around and walked out of the great hall.

"What was that all about?" Albus said. Scorpius filled him in quickly.

"Jeremy likes Lily?" He was very surprised. "That explains all the wary looks. Does he think I'll come all big brother over him or something?"

"It's a natural enough assumption."

"Not when it comes to me and my sister. Lily has never listened to me about anything and she's not about to start now...How come you got involved in all this?"

"Lily came to me. She wanted my help."

"Hmmm...I think my sister likes you."

"Of course she does. I'm irresistible."

Albus smiled. "That's actually true you know."

"Glad you think so. Now I'll go talk to Lily, okay." Albus nodded.

Lily had been watching this entire exchange curiously. She had been very pleased when she'd seen Jeremy shake Violet off and leave the table. She had been a bit puzzled when she saw him talking to Scorpius and then concerned when he left without so much a looking at her. It was all so confusing. She wanted to bang her head on the table...repeatedly.  _What is it about this guy? Why do I care so much? I have every other idiot in this place fawning on me but I only want him and he couldn't care less...Just like my life._

She would have gone on like this for a while longer. What stopped her was the sight of Scorpius walking up to the Gryffindor table. He came over to her side and sat down, prompting some very curious looks from the students around them. He leaned close to her and whispered.

"I spoke to Jeremy today. There's something he wants to tell you."

"Okay. Where is he?"

"Charms classroom. First floor. He's waiting for you."

"Really?"

"He wants to talk. Now go. And just...hear him out okay."

Lily nodded. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, "Thank you," she said. "You're a darling." She reached over and kissed him on the cheek. Then she got up and left, completely oblivious to all the whispering and the staring that followed.

Scorpius turned to see James glaring at him.  _He probably thinks I'm dating his sister, after_   _that little display_ , he thought, shaking his head and wondering at how complicated his life had got ever since he got together with Albus. His life had been peaceful before, but it had also been a bit monotonous. So he really couldn't complain. Albus was like a breath of fresh air, a bit of excitement and a lot of life outside of his own head.  _He makes me feel alive,_  Scorpius thought as he got up and walked back to his own table. Albus was watching him with a look of open affection on his face. It was a look that warmed him and made him feel very lucky indeed.


	19. Chapter 19

As Lily walked out of the great hall, she was lost in thought. She was of course wondering what was going on. Until a couple of months ago, she hadn't known of Jeremy's existence outside the quidditch pitch. Then Professor Malfoy had put them together for a project and they had started working together. Until then she had never spoken to him or paid any kind of attention to him. He was a quiet, fairly studious kind of guy and Lily's preference tended to be towards the more flamboyant boys in the school.

For the first couple of weeks, all they'd done was work. Then they'd started to have a few casual conversations when they met up in the library in the evenings and they'd really hit it off. They'd quickly discovered that they had a lot to talk about, besides quidditch, which of course was the topic that had got them talking in the first place. Lily found that Jeremy was clever and that he had a wicked sense of humour which she really appreciated. Just about a month after they'd started working together, Lily had realised that she was starting to fall for the guy. She'd realised that she genuinely liked him in a way that was far more serious than the 'He's really good looking, I think I want to go out with him.' sense that was the norm with her.

She blushed a bit as she climbed the stairs, thinking about how shallow she used to be. Once she'd realised that she liked him, she'd turned on her charm and she'd made her interest obvious. He'd responded at first...they'd spent many an everning talking and laughing and flirting. But he hadn't asked her out. And then suddenly, Violet Parkinson started appearing every time he did and all their conversations went back to being only about work. It had left her feeling frustrated and confused. She had tried to talk to him about it a couple of weeks ago and that had just led to him shutting her out completely. That should have made her angry. It had, but not enough to forget about him. They'd met in the library just the previous day to work on their project and he'd been cold and distant and it had hurt. And now he wanted to talk to her.

She stood outside the charms classroom and took a deep breath. She honestly didn't know what to expect. Her heart was pounding as she pushed the door open. Jeremy stood by the window. He was frowning as if he was thinking hard about something. He turned around when he heard the door and attempted a small smile. She smiled back.

"Hey," she said as she walked into the room. "Scorpius said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yeah. I wanted to apologise actually." He seemed uncomfortable but he kept his eyes on her as he spoke.

"What for?" She said.

"I've been treating you badly these last couple of weeks," he said and then he looked away.

"Hmmm...It's good to hear you acknowledge it, but I want to know why. What happened? I thought we were getting to be friends."

"We were...but it was getting to be more than that, wasn't it?"

"Perhaps," Lily said, trying to appear calmer than she really felt.

"That's kind of what made me withdraw actually..." He said softly.

"That doesn't make any sense," she said.

"It does to me. I don't think we should be anything other than friends."

"Why?"

"Because I have no interest in being one more in the long line of guys that you've dated." He tried to be calm as he said it, but he was bitter and it showed.

Lily felt like she'd just been slapped. "What the hell do you mean by that?" She said indignantly.

"Exactly what I said. Look I don't mean to hurt you or insult you, but you have dated a lot of guys over the last couple of years. You seem to lose interest in them rather quickly. That's exactly what would happen with me as well and I don't want that."

Lily was furious. What made her angrier perhaps, was the fact that he was right. She did get bored of the guys that she dated rather quickly. That was precisely why she was so interested in Jeremy. There was something about him that told her that he was different.

"So you think I just play around, is it?" She kept her voice low, but it was clear that she was angry. Jeremy seemed unaffected by it and that only served to make her even more angry.

"I think you're fickle and you're always looking for something else, something new and you don't care when you hurt some one." He sounded almost hurt as he said that. But Lily was too angry to stop and wonder why.

"That is not true!"

"Yes it is. Did you ever consider how some of those guys felt when you dumped them?"

Okay. So she hadn't ever thought about that. But what the hell? She was only fifteen. They all were.  _Who gets serious about life and relationships at fifteen?_ She thought and she said as much.

"I do," he said. And then he took a deep breath. This was not going the way he had intended. "I'm not judging you, Lily."

"Sure doesn't sound like that from here," Lily said bitterly.

"I like you," he said, making her want to throw something at him. "But I don't want to date you. I can't set myself up to get hurt like that. So let's just not go there, alright. Let's focus on the project and get it done. I'm sorry I've been ignoring you. It's been affecting our work...I won't do it again. I really should have explained myself earlier."

There was so much Lily wanted to say and do at that moment. She wanted to tell him that he was different and that she wouldn't treat him the way she had treated all those other guys, but that reminded her that he clearly believed that she was selfish and unfeeling and that made her angry because it was maybe a little bit true. And then she wondered why on earth she was still standing there when he had so clearly told her that he didn't want to have anything to with her.  _When did I get so pathetic? He's not going to ignore me any more, is he? Who the hell does he think he_  is? She thought and then she turned and walked out of the door, making sure to slam it as she left.

Jeremy stood there for a moment. He ran his hands through his hair. He sighed.  _I really_   _could have handled that better,_ he thought. The truth was that he liked Lily Potter rather a lot. In fact, he'd been really glad when Professor Malfoy had put them together for the project. He'd fallen for her rather quickly and just as he'd started to think that she liked him too, he'd seen her kissing William Davies in the back of the library and that had put him in his place quite effectively. Lily Potter could never be serious about anyone. And if she ever did, that someone would not be him. He just wished he could stop caring about her, but that didn't look like it was about to happen anytime soon.

...

Draco Malfoy walked back to his rooms after dinner feeling thoughtful. He had spent all day wondering if Harry was okay. He had after all, not been in a particularly good shape when had left the previous night. Draco wanted to floo call him, just to check, to make sure. But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to do that. He got back to his rooms and started pacing in front of his fire place. Every single time that they had talked or met over the last few months, it had been Harry who did the calling and the coming over. And except for the previous night, it had always been about work. Draco had always felt that it would be presumptuous of him to call Harry just to talk to him. But after all that they had talked about the previous night, maybe he could make that presumption...

He was still wondering about that when the floo chimed and Harry poked his head through the green flames. "I'm guessing you've already had dinner," Harry said without any kind of preamble. Almost like this was something they did every day.

"Yes," Draco said and he couldn't keep the smile off his face. He was so glad Harry had called.

"I haven't. I was hoping to ask you to join me, but I got delayed at the office. I'm hoping you'll come over and join me for a drink at least."

"Only if you promise to do more eating than drinking."

"Yes mum," Harry said as he stepped aside and let Draco walk through the flames into his house.

Draco looked around him curiously. It was the first time he'd been in Harry's house. He'd been surprised when Harry had told him that he lived in Godric's Hollow. He had assumed for some reason, that Harry would have chosen to live in London or Ottery St' Catchpole with the rest of the Weasleys. The house was smaller than he'd expected. It was large enough for a family of five, but considering just how much money Harry had inherited, he'd expected his home to be large and ornate.

It was cozy and tasteful instead. Not showy in the least. Just a quiet and warm little family home. It was clearly full of memories. But just then it felt a bit sterile. _There's too little life in this house,_  he thought as he looked around.

"Nice place you have here," he said.

"Thanks," Harry said as he led the way out of the living room, through a large dining room into the kitchen.

"I never use that dining room if I can help it," he said.

Draco followed him into the kitchen. It felt more lived in than the rest of the house.  _Harry_   _probably spends most of his time here,_  he thought as he looked around. It had three large counters and it was full of muggle appliances of different kinds. There was a small table in the middle of the kitchen. It was just the right size for a quiet meal for two. The food and the drinks were all set out.

Harry turned out all the lights except the one lamp directly above the table. As they sat down and Harry poured out the drinks, Draco couldn't help but think that the table, the lighting and the quiet of the countryside...all combined to create a very intimate setting for an evening of conversation.  _A bit like a date,_  he thought. He found himself smiling at that thought, though he was sure that Harry would never ever think about him that way.


	20. Chapter 20

They sat at that small table a long time that night talking easily about everything and nothing. Harry was discovering that Draco was an excellent conversationalist. He was witty and clever and Harry found himself laughing more often than not. It was a relief to be in the company of someone who didn't expect anything from him, someone who only expected Harry to be honest, to be himself.

There was a small part of him that was a bit embarrassed at having shared some of his problems with Draco. That was because he had always dealt with his problems on his own. The Dursleys had taught him that lesson at a pretty young age and it had stuck with him. Ron and Hermione had tried to help while they were at school but there were several times when he'd been let down by them as well.

And once they'd left school, they'd drifted apart a bit. Ron and Hermione had their own jobs and their own family to worry about. They still met once a week, but he no longer shared anything of significance with them. Perhaps because the two of them seemed so happy together and in their jobs and their lives in general. He felt a bit like a failure in front of them and he didn't want to be the dead weight that dragged them down.

There had been a time when he had hoped he could share himself with Ginny like that...totally without barriers, but that hadn't happened. Ginny was never around much and when she was she didn't seem able to read his moods, or maybe she simply hadn't wanted to. Whatever it was, it had led to Harry keeping a lot of things inside himself.

He still couldn't understand why he had opened up to Draco. But embarrassed as he was about that, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. Because the only reason they were sitting in his kitchen and talking so late into the night was that Harry had accepted Draco's offer of friendship and opened up to him, let himself be vulnerable. And it had been worth it. He'd been a bit messed up when he'd got home the previous night. But he'd stayed awake all night thinking about everything that Draco had said to him. And he had somehow come away from all that reflection feeling a bit lighter and a little surer of himself.

Draco for his part, was enjoying the evening quite a bit. He was learning a lot about Harry that he hadn't known before. He was surprised to learn that Harry was a movie buff. His enthusiasm for and knowledge of films was astonishing to say the least. He was also rather well informed about wine and very fond of it. He was apparently very fond of cooking as well, though it was while since he had cooked anything. "Cooking for yourself can get boring very quickly," he said.

Harry was turning out to be a very intriguing man indeed. Draco had been interested before, but now he was seriously smitten. It was a revelation to see Harry laugh. It made him look so young. Draco had always thought that Harry was good looking, though this opinion had been given grudgingly at first. But now he found himself almost envying Harry's effortless good looks...It was obvious that the man didn't try at all.

It was a wonderful evening for both of them. Perhaps the first time that they had truly relaxed in each other's company, doing nothing more than getting to know each other. It was pretty late when Draco got up to leave. But the floo chimed even before he left the kitchen. Draco wondered who could be calling at such a late hour.

"Must be Ginny," Harry mumbled as he walked out of the kitchen.

Draco stayed where he was. He knew that the Weasleatte, as he still thought of her, would not be be too pleased to see him in her home at such a late hour, never mind the fact that she seemed to care so little about her home that she was rarely there. Draco realised that he was starting to resent her, and he knew it was probably not very fair of him to assume that she was the cause of all the problems in Harry's marriage, but he wasn't feeling up to being fair just then.

He heard a low murmur of voices but he couldn't make out anything specific. The living room was after all, some distance from the kitchen. Then he heard Harry who was clearly very agitated.

"I can't believe you're still trying to convince me about this!" He said.

And then, "I don't care if it is an honour. I don't want it! Doesn't that matter to you at all?"

"Of course I'm not ambitious! Don't tell me it took you twenty years to figure that out!"

"Oh you're disappointed is it? That pretty rich coming from you."

"So what else is new?"

"What do you expect me to miss, Ginny? You're never here."

"I don't think I believe that anymore. This is not just about your job."

"You know what? I don't give a fuck anymore. Do whatever you want."

And then Draco heard the floo connection shut abruptly and Harry stomped back into the kitchen. He looked angry and upset and he was clearly embarrassed that Draco had heard some of that. Draco wondered if he should just leave. But then he decided against it. He had to make Harry understand that he could trust him completely...that there was no need to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about anything.

Harry was leaning against the counter and he was staring at the floor. Draco walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders. That made Harry look up.

"It's okay." Draco said softly. "Sit," He said as he led Harry to the dining table and made him sit down. He poured out a glass of wine and gave it to him.

Then he sat down as well and waited. He wasn't going to push Harry to tell him anything, but he wanted him to know that he could if he wanted to. Harry dearly wished that Draco hadn't heard all that. A part of him wanted to clam up and keep it all to himself. But it would be such a relief to let it all out.

"I had a meeting with Kingsley today," he said finally. "He doesn't want to run for minister this time. He wants me to run instead."

"What?" Draco said. He was incredulous.

"I have the support of the entire Wizengmot, apparently."

"That's good to know. You turned him down, I hope," Draco said. He understood the reasoning behind Shacklebolt's proposal. Harry would do wonders for the image of the ministry. But he was so not cut out to be a politician. He was not devious or ambitious enough. And with his dislike of being in the public eye, he would be miserable.

"Of course. But he didn't take my refusal seriously. He thinks he'll persuade me eventually. I didn't want to be head auror either, but he got me to accept the position in the end. He thinks this is the same. Anyway, it seems he decided to get some help."

"So he spoke to your wife about it?" Draco couldn't believe the gall of the man.

"Yeah. That's what she called to speak to me about. She obviously thought it was a very good idea. You know, what with the power and the honour and all that crap."

Draco didn't say anything to that. He did wonder, though how the Weasleatte had managed to be married to Harry for twenty years without understanding how uncomfortable he was with with being in the public eye. How could she even think that it was a good idea for him to run for minister?

"So we argued and she was kind enough to inform me that she was disappointed with me and my lack of ambition. Sometimes I wonder if she knows the first thing about me..." Harry said and then he sat there staring unhappily at the floor. There was so much that Draco wanted to say. But he knew that it wasn't his place to comment on Harry's wife or his marriage...at least not until Harry actually asked him. So he kept his peace. And he sat there sharing the darkness and the quiet of Harry's life at that moment and somehow that was exactly what Harry needed.


	21. Chapter 21

It was the afternoon of the next day. Scorpius was on his way to his last class of the day. It was his weekly Magical Arts class...the only one that he didn't share with Rose. He was lost in thought. Lily had come over to talk to him at lunchtime. She'd told him what had happened with Jeremy. She was angry and hurt and she'd declared that she didn't want to have anything to do with Jeremy anymore. But Scorpius saw right through her. After all, he was very familiar with denial. He knew that the only reason Lily had come over to talk to him was that Rose had made her. Left to herself, she would simply have pretended that nothing had happened.

Scorpius saw Jeremy's point of view, of course. But he also saw that Lily had really fallen very hard for him and that if they did start dating, he might just be the making of her. Lily had a lot of flaws, but she was basically a good kid. She was loving and affectionate and capable of a great deal of passion. She had practically adopted him the day she'd learned of her brother's interest in him and she had stuck by them ever since. She covered for Albus whenever he needed it. She lied for him, made excuses for him and she along with Rose made it possible for Albus and Scorpius to have the kind of alone time that they would not have been able to get otherwise.

Scorpius had grown rather fond of her over the past few weeks and he really wanted to help her. But he had no idea how. Albus and Rose didn't seem to have any useful ideas either. He was still thinking about this when he bumped into someone coming from the other side of the corridor. He put his hand out automatically, to steady himself, and suddenly he was being grabbed and shoved roughly against the wall. He looked up and he wanted to groan...loudly. It was James Potter who had him pinned against the wall. Not that Scorpius was afraid. Not in the least. James was bigger and physically a lot stronger than he was, but Scorpius was well aware of his own magical strength. James would not be able to hurt him. What made him want to groan was the fact that he really did not want to be fighting Albus' brother.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" James said as he pushed him roughly against the wall again.

"Get off me, Potter," Scorpius replied.

"Why don't you make me, you little twit?" James said.

"Let me go, Potter. There's no need for all this drama. We can talk like civilised people, you know," Scorpius said calmly.

"Not until you tell me what you did to my sister, you jerk," James said as he shoved him against the wall again. Scorpius decided he'd had enough nonsense for one day. So he closed his eyes and called on his magic. And James was lifted off his feet and thrown against the wall on the other side of the corridor. He got up and rushed Scorpius immediately only to find himself blocked by a shield. He pulled out his wand and tried to blast his way through it, but he couldn't. Scorpius couldn't help but be amused. He hated that he was in the middle of an altercation with his boyfriend's brother, but he couldn't help thinking that it was time James Potter was brought down a peg or two. Still, it was time to end this idiocy.

"I didn't do anything to Lily, alright and I have no idea why you think I did."

"I know you've been seeing her. You've kept it quiet, but I figured it out. I wondered why she defended you so staunchly every time I fought with Al about you. Then I saw you two in the library the other day, sitting close together and whispering away. And then last night you actually had the gall to come and sit at our table. I don't know what you said to her, but I do know that when she came back to the common room after dinner, she was crying. She looked so miserable. What the hell did you do to make her cry like that?"

_Merlin! This is such a mess. It's bad enough that I promised Albus to keep our relationship a secret and now I'm keeping Lily's secrets too. And this...fathead has got hold of the wrong end of the stick entirely. I can't tell him the truth. So what the hell do I tell him?_

"Look, Potter, you've got this all wrong. I am not dating your sister. In fact if I know her at all, it is because Al and I are friends. I did meet up with her in the library the other day, but that was because I needed her help...to decide what to get Al for his birthday next week. That's all it was. And when I spoke to her yesterday at dinner, I was simply running one of my ideas by her. That's why I came over alone. I didn't want Al to know. Besides, I'm sure you noticed that your sister left the great hall alone. I went back to Al and we stayed together until curfew. Something must have happened after that to upset her. Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me," Scorpius said, mixing in the truth with the lies to make it all sound very convincing. He hated lying, but there was no help for it just then.

James just stood there looking deflated. Angry as he was, he couldn't deny that everything Scorpius said made sense. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something.

"I don't know what was going on with your sister yesterday, okay. Maybe you should just ask her." Scorpius said as he took down the shield separating them. He was pretty sure that James wouldn't try to hurt him again. "And now I have to go. I'm running late for my class as it is," he said and then he turned and walked away, leaving a very confused James Potter in his wake.

Now that the confrontation with James was over, Scorpius had a new worry on his mind. Should he tell Albus about it or not? He knew that Albus would want to know and he would be very angry if he ever heard of this from someone else. But the match against Slytherin was just two days away and Albus already had a lot on his mind. He didn't want to add this to the list. He just couldn't make up his mind one way or the other. He was distracted all through class, but luckily for him his fingers knew what to do even when his mind was elsewhere. So he was able to make a reasonably good job of the task assigned and the teacher was none the wiser.

Once the class was over, Scorpius went looking for Rose. He didn't plan to hide anything from her. He still wasn't sure about telling Albus and he was hoping she'd have some ideas about that. He found her in the Ravenclaw common room...with Albus and Frank. He had a strong urge to turn around and walk out of there, but Albus saw him before he could do that. So he went over to join them hoping to at least stall for a while.

But it seemed that luck really wasn't with him just then. Albus noticed almost immediately, that something was wrong. "Scor, what happened?" He said.

_Me and my transparent bloody face_ , Scorpius thought. He was still trying to figure out what to say, when Albus noticed that his robes were torn at the back. And that Scorpius had a small bruise at the back of his head.

"Somebody hurt you," Albus said. He kept his voice low, but it was obvious that he was angry.

"Tried to. He didn't get very far. So it's not a big deal," Scorpius said.

"Who was it?"

"James," Scorpius said softly. There was no point in trying to hide it.

"What?!" All three of them spoke at once.

Scorpius told them what had happened. He tried to underplay the whole thing, but that didn't seem to have much effect on Albus. He was angry with his brother and he knew that his sister would be as well, when she found out. James was really going overboard with this big brother act of his. He was angry at James' needless interference. He was angry that his brother had tried to hurt his boyfriend. Albus was sure that if Scorpius hadn't been able to stop him, James would have hurt him a lot more. The very thought of that made him sick. Most of all, he felt guilty.

He sat there with his head in his hands feeling miserable. It had been his idea to keep their relationship a secret. He hated that he kept putting Scorpius in situations where he would have to lie. If they had been open about it from the beginning, none of this would have happened. He looked up and saw Scorpius looking awkwardly at him. He knew that his boyfriend wanted to hug him and try to comfort him, but he was holding himself back, because they were in the common room where anyone could see them. Neither of them should have to do that. They should be able to show their affection openly, regardless of what anyone thought. It was nobody's bloody business.

_That does it! No more secrets_ , Albus thought as he stood up and pulled Scorpius to his feet. Then he pulled him into a hug. He held him tight and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry I made you lie and hide yourself and our relationship. I won't ask you to do that anymore. I love you." And then he pulled his boyfriend into a long and very loving kiss in full view of everyone in the common room. Albus knew that this would be all over the school by dinnertime, but he couldn't bring himself to care.


	22. Chapter 22

Scorpius had known that Albus would be very angry when he heard that his brother had tried to hurt him. He had expected Albus to feel a bit guilty as well, for forcing him to keep their relationship a secret. But he hadn't expected to be kissed like that in front of his housemates. Albus took him completely by surprise. Scorpius' first instinct was to pull away. He was embarrassed. He closed his eyes, but he was still very aware that everyone was watching them.

"Trust me, love," Albus whispered as he continued to kiss him. Scorpius realised that this had to be difficult for Albus as well. He was a very private person too. So what had come over him exactly? A sudden desire to make their relationship public in a very emphatic way? While Scorpius couldn't quite approve of the means that Albus had chosen, he was very glad that the secrecy was over. It had been bothering him a great deal over the last few days. So he put his embarrassment aside and relaxed into the kiss and he couldn't help smiling when he heard Albus' gentle murmur of approval.

When they pulled away from each other, they were met with by a stunned silence. Everyone in the room was looking at them, staring like they couldn't believe their eyes. Then someone clapped and someone else whistled and soon the entire common room was noisily showing their approval. Albus and Scorpius were both blushing. They were both very private people by nature and they would ordinarily never have kissed like that in front of anyone. It had been a very deliberate move on Albus' part. He turned around to see that Frank was staring wide eyed at them. Rose was smirking.

"That was hot!" She said, making the two boys blush even more.

"Tell me about it..." One of the girls said. She sounded dazed.

"Awwww..." Came from another girl.

"You guys are so cute," said another.

Most of the girls had wistful looks on their faces. The boys just looked stunned. Albus found that he was done channelling his inner Gryffindor. He'd made his point and now he just wanted to get out of there. He turned to look at Scorpius and he realised that his boyfriend seemed to be thinking along the same lines. So he held out his hand and led him out of the common room. They wound up in the room of requirement, as usual.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Scorpius said, once the doors had closed behind them. He wasn't angry, but he was still very uncomfortable. Albus had kissed him in front of his entire house. Scorpius could only imagine the kind of teasing he was in for, after this.

"I'm sorry. I know I embarrassed you. I just..."

"Had a Gryffindor moment?" Scorpius said. He sounded exasperated, but he couldn't quite hide the fondness in his voice.

"Something like that," Albus looked really sheepish. He stood by the couch and stared at the floor.

"It's okay," Scorpius said as he pulled his boyfriend into a hug. "I was embarrassed, but it was...kind of romantic."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said and then he ran his fingers gently through Albus' hair. "So, no more hiding."

"No, thank Merlin! It was getting really tedious."

"I know. I got so sick of all those girls asking you out. I almost hexed the last one..."

"I know what you mean. I nearly had a fit when that girl, what's her name?"

"Amanda?"

"Yes Amanda. The one who had the audacity to sit next to you and grab you by the arm and insist that you take her Hogsmeade this weekend. It was so frustrating to watch you make all those excuses. It was so hard not to push her away and tell her to keep her hands off my boyfriend," Albus said.

"Well, now you can," Scorpius said. He loved it when Albus got all jealous over him.

"So, seeing as we are officially together now, would consider letting me take you out on a date to Hogsmeade on Sunday?" Albus said.

"Why is it that you are the one taking me out? Are you suggesting that I'm the girl in this relationship?" Scorpius said.

"Of course not. It's just that keeping our relationship quiet was my idea. It is my fault that we haven't had a proper date yet. I just want to make it up to you, that's all."

"Well in that case, yes."

"Good. Now kiss me," Albus said.

Scorpius put his hands around Albus neck and he pulled him close. Then he reached up and kissed him. He was soft and gentle, but he was also very thorough. Albus found himself melting into his boyfriend. He could never understand how Scorpius managed to be both gentle and provocative at the same time. He had to admit that Scorpius knew exactly how to reduce him to a needy pile of mush. He felt his knees start giving way when Scorpius dragged him over to the bed and made him lie down.

Scorpius stood by the bed and looked Albus up and down very deliberately until he had him blushing a very bright red. "Ready to have a little coming out party?" He said and Albus nodded. He wasn't quite able to speak just then.

"In that case I have a request to make," Scorpius said.

"What?" Albus whispered.

"I know we wanted to take things a bit slow, but..."

"But what?" Albus said as he pulled Scorpius on to the bed and settled himself on top of him.

It was Scorpius' turn to blush. "I...want to make love to you, Al," he said softly as his blush deepened.

Albus found himself colouring as well as he considered the request. They'd been intimate plenty of times, but they hadn't yet gone all the way. They wanted to, they'd talked about it a few times and they'd decided to wait.

"We'll know when the time is right," Scorpius had said.

It was time. Albus felt it in his bones as he gazed at Scorpius who looked up at him with his desire plainly visible in his eyes. Neither of them had a preference as to position...they wanted to do it both ways, but tonight it was Scorpius who wanted to take him. That much was clear and the thought of being owned and marked in that way, made Albus' stomach flip and his heart and his very soul fill with desire and longing. It made him blush a bit self consciously at the thought of everything that their coupling would involve.

He could feel Scorpius' heart thudding under his as he stared up at him, eyes blown wide with desire as he held Albus close to him and ran his hands up and down his back as he waited for a response.

Albus nodded and then he got out of bed and started to take his clothes off. Scorpius stared at him utterly transfixed. He had seen Albus naked plenty of times, but tonight was different. His mouth was dry and his breathing ragged as he watched his gorgeous boyfriend strip for him.  _Merlin! He is breathtaking,_ Scorpius thought as he watched Albus take his pants off and look up at him. Albus had never felt more self conscious then he did at that moment. He was pleased to see the way Scorpius was staring at him, his mouth open, his eyes blown wide, his breathing uneven...desire plainly visible in his every feature as he walked up to Albus.

"Do you have any idea how utterly gorgeous you are?" Scorpius said as he put his arms around him and kissed him hard. He felt like he was going to explode.

"I'm not anywhere near as beautiful as you, love," Albus said softly as he pulled away and began to undress his boyfriend.

It took a while because Albus kept stopping every now and then to kiss him. Finally they were done and they fell into bed kissing rather desperately. Albus pulled away after a while and he took a moment to appreciate the picture that Scorpius made, spread out as he was on the blue silk sheets. "So bloody beautiful..." He said. And then he drew Scorpius to him again and kissed him. They touched, they kissed and they pleasured each other in every way they could. And finally it was time.

Albus lay on his stomach, moaning and writhing as Scorpius prepared him. Scorpius was very very gentle as he entered him. It hurt of course, but Scorpius kept stroking him in a way that was designed to make him crazy and that kept his mind off the pain and then Scorpius began to move inside him and Albus was very quickly lost in a blinding haze of pleasure and joy as they finally came together in the most intimate way possible. Scorpius, for his part, had never experienced anything as perfect and wonderful as this. He thought his heart was going to explode as he began to move...he found himself moaning in tandem with Albus. Every sound that Albus made drove him even closer to the edge and then he felt himself being squeezed impossibly tight as Albus came undone and then he followed.

They stayed in bed for a long time that evening. It was a time meant for lazy love making. And they were both in need of it. So they took their time with each other and forgot about everything else.

They ended up missing dinner and all the gossip that raged around the great hall. They didn't see Lily burst out laughing. They didn't see the incredulous look on Jeremy's face when Violet told him. They didn't see Fred Weasley pale and down an entire jug full of pumpkin juice and they didn't see Louis Weasley blush and look self conscious. And they missed Draco's satisfied smirk when the news trickled up to the teachers table. They didn't care about any of that. The only regret they had was that they missed the sight of James Potter going green in the face and pounding his head against the table.

...

At about the same time that his son was outing himself and his boyfriend in the Ravenclaw common room, Harry was sitting in the minister's office feeling utterly bored and more than a little irritated. Kingsley had called him in for a meeting an hour ago and he'd spent all this time laying out his arguments, trying to make Harry see why he wanted him to become the minister. Harry had heard it all before. He was trying to be patient, but what irked him was the way the minister kept insinuating that it was Harry's duty to do this.

Everything unpleasant in his life had been presented to him as his duty. He had accepted it as such and he'd gone out and done it. But he'd had enough. It was time for someone else to step up. He simply couldn't let Kingsley guilt him into this. It was obvious from the way the mister was carrying on that he was sure that he would convince Harry in the end.  _And he will too, if I'm not careful_ , Harry thought as he tried in vain to stifle a yawn. He considered refusing outright...again. But he'd tried that the previous day and it hadn't got him anywhere. So he decided to pretend to go along with it for now, if only to keep the minister from roping in other people to 'convince' him.

"I'll think about it. But that's all I can say right now," Harry said.

"That's fine. Take some time to think it through. I know you'll see my point in the end."

"Perhaps. Now there's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I need some time off work."

"Of course. How many days are we talking about?"

"A month."

"A month? You're entitled to it of course, but Harry you never take more than a couple of days off even during the holidays. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Kingsley. My kids are going to be home on Wednesday and I want to spend the entire holiday with them. I hardly saw them in the summer. Al wrote me just this morning to ask if I could take some time off to be with him. So I'd like to take a month off starting Saturday..."

"Now, how I can say no when you give me a reason like that?" Kingsley said, smiling. "Fine, harry. You can have the time off. But promise me you'll think about running for minister. Talk to your wife about it. After all, it is a decision that will affect her life as well. And let me know in a couple of weeks." It was obvious that he was convinced that Harry was going to accept his proposal.

"Sure, minister. Thank you," Harry said and then he left the room. He didn't see the satisfied smile on Kingsley's face, but he knew it would be there. Harry gathered his things and left quickly. He still had a bunch of things to sort out before the holidays, but all of that could wait.

He apparated directly into his living room and he knew immediately that he was not alone. He walked into the kitchen to find Ginny standing at the counter and making tea the muggle way, just as Harry had taught her. There was a time when Ginny had been terrified of electrical appliances, but now she negotiated the kettle, the toaster the oven and all the rest with ease. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hi. You're home early. Do you want some tea?" She said cheerfully, almost as if they hadn't argued bitterly just the night before.

Harry found it infuriating, but he kept his cool. "So are you. I thought you said you weren't planning to get home until Wednesday," Harry said.

"I...changed my mind," she said as she handed him his tea and came to sit at the table with him.

"Any particular reason?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Us."

"What about us?"

She sighed. She rubbed her eyes and then she looked up. She looked weary. "Harry, aren't you tired of fighting?"

He saw a glimpse of the old Ginny just then. A woman he'd once loved. That thought startled him, but he knew it was true _. I don't love her anymore and I'm pretty sure she doesn't love me either_ , he thought, as he felt his heart sink.

"I don't want to fight anymore, Gin," he said finally. "But that is all we seem to do these days. It is almost as if we can't help it. I wish there was some way to fix it."

"Me too..." She said softly and he saw her eyes fill with tears. "I did a lot of thinking last night and I realised something that I really should have seen a long time ago. We're fundamentally different, you and I. We want some very different things from life...we don't think about things the same way."

"I know," Harry said and then he sighed. "I thought we had it all worked out. But our way of working it out has led to us living totally different lives. We hardly share anything anymore. How did we end up like this, Gin?"

"I was too ambitious for you and you weren't ambitious enough for me. We're both a little to blame, I guess. I'm sorry I brought up that thing about the ministry, yesterday. I should've known that you wouldn't want it. It's just that when Kingsley told me about it, all I could think about was that it was such a wonderful opportunity to take charge, to bring the kind of changes to our world that we've always wanted."

"I know, Gin. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I understand what you are saying, but I am not cut out to be a politician. I'd love to bring some changes to our world. I'd love to make things better. But I know how it works. I know how many people Kingsley has to appease and sweet talk and bribe even, before he can get anything good to happen. I could never do that. I could never sit in front of someone who I know is a pathetic idiot and flatter him, just so he'll vote in favour of a proposal that I want to see pass. I'm too honest and blunt for that. And I cannot even imagine dealing with all the public attention and scrutiny that would come with that position."

"I understand what you're saying, Harry. But I still think that you're letting go of a wonderful opportunity for reasons that are trivial at best, at least to my mind."

"Please don't start that again..."

"I won't. I'm just stating my opinion, that's all. It's not like I have ever managed to make you do anything that you didn't want to now, did it?" Her resentment was obvious.

"What are you saying, Gin?"

"I'm saying that I never get a say in your life," she said.

"It's not like I have a say in yours," he replied reasonably.

"Then what are we doing together, Harry?"


	23. Chapter 23

"Then what are we doing together, Harry?" Ginny said. "We live totally separate lives, we don't share anything other than the kids and we have no say in each other's lives...this isn't what marriage is supposed to be like, is it?"

"No." Harry said. "This is not what I thought it would be like." He could feel a weight settling on his chest. He couldn't deny that Ginny had a point. It was not as if any of this was new to him. But it had been easy to bury himself in work and ignore the problems in his marriage. Ginny had been in denial as well. So they'd never talked about it before, preferring instead to pretend that everything was alright or that it would be, soon enough.

They'd pretty much been living from argument to argument and refusing to look at the big picture...pretending perhaps, that if they refused to acknowledge the problem, it would somehow go away. But now that they had actually said the words, the whole thing became real. Denial was no longer an option.

"Aren't you lonely?" Ginny said after a while.

"Yeah. It was okay as long as the kids were at home, but now...I hate the silence. I actually hate coming home," Harry said.

"Hmmm...You know, people always tell me that I'm really fortunate...that I've somehow managed to have everything, marriage, kids, a successful career at doing something that I love and so on, and mostly, I agree, but I've always hated the fact that I didn't get to share any of that with you. I love travelling, but I always do it alone. I loved playing quidditch, but forget playing with me, you hardly ever came to see me play and neither did the kids for that matter. So despite the fact that I have a family, I am always alone. I think I've always resented you for that..."

Harry could only snort in response. "You resent me too, huh?" Ginny said.

"Yeah Gin. We're supposed to be a family but you're never around. And that is pretty much the story of our marriage. It's almost like you just drop by whenever you feel like it, but otherwise my existence or otherwise is irrelevant."

Ginny opened her mouth as if to retort, but then she stopped herself. She sighed. "You know, when you married me, I think you unconsciously expected me to be like my mother...When I was growing up, I used to watch mum working around the house all the time, cooking, cleaning, taking care of us and I used to admire her. I used to wonder how she was able to put our needs before hers like that all the time."

"I think she's a wonderful person, I always did. And yet I couldn't help thinking, even as a little girl, that I didn't want to grow up to be like her. I couldn't imagine living that kind of life and I still can't. I have dreams, I have talent and I want to use it. I know that some of my choices made things difficult for you, Harry, but I'm not going to apologise for them."

"Of course you're not going to apologise!" Harry was starting to get angry. "You just don't see it, do you? Your life has always been about you and what you want. There's simply no room for me in it for me."

"What about you, Harry? When have you ever tried to figure me into your choices?"

"What was I supposed to do, Gin? Abandon my career and follow you around?"

"Why not? When you so clearly expect me to abandon my career and stay at home for you and be the good little wife who wants nothing more than to be there for her husband?"

Harry wanted to bang his head against the wall. Ginny could be so infuriating. "I don't expect you to be there for me all the time. But Gin, you're not there at all. You're my wife. Was it so wrong of me to want you to be here more often? Is it so hard to understand that I might have wanted to come home to you once in a while? Or that I might sometimes look at the way your mum fusses over your dad and feel a bit envious..."

"I've always had to take care of myself," Harry continued. "Even as a kid, I was entirely on my own. I thought that being married and having a family would mean that I didn't have to be alone anymore. That I might finally have someone who would want to take care of me...at least some of the time...I've always supported your dreams, Gin, but I have needs and desires too. And I can't deny them anymore. I don't expect you to do something that you don't want to, or to be someone that you're not. But I can't help wondering why you married me at all, considering that I never seem to figure in any of dreams or plans."

"I married you because I loved you. But I guess I didn't really know you. I assumed that you would be as fond of adventure as I am. I assumed that we wouldn't be like all the other boring couples out there. I thought you would want to create an interesting and exciting life with me. But all you ever wanted was to be normal, to be like everyone else. By the time I understood that, it was..."

"Too late? It's okay, Gin, you can say it. After all, this entire conversation is supposed to be about finally being honest."

"Yeah, too late. So I just went along with it, trying to make the best of it, because despite my disappointment, I still loved you. Don't tell me you weren't disappointed in me..."

"I was. I am. But I am more disappointed in myself. I wish I hadn't just gone along with things. I wish I hadn't let you live in denial. I wish we'd had this conversation ten years ago. Maybe then, we might have had a little something to salvage, some reason to fight for our marriage."

Ginny had nothing to say to that. It was obvious that their differences ran a little too deep. There was a fundamental incompatibility here that could neither be denied nor fixed. She had been lying to herself and pretending for others for too long and she was just so tired of it. She wanted to be with someone who would share her dreams, not resent them. And Harry deserved the same.

His words had rankled, but she couldn't deny the truth of them. She really hadn't been much of a wife to him. She was not the kind of partner he needed and he had made it very clear that he would never be the kind of partner that she wanted...So she took a deep breath and willed herself to say something that she had never thought she would find herself saying.

"Harry, is there any point in continuing to be in this marriage?"

Harry sighed. He felt his chest clench painfully at her words...But he had to admit that he was tired of the constant arguments, the loneliness and the heartache. He was tired of pretending to be happy. And yet, the idea of separation was a painful one.  _Maybe because_   _it means the loss of something familiar,_ he thought _._

_"_ A part of me still wants to say yes. I want to argue that twenty years of marriage is not something that you throw away just like that..." Harry said. "But then again, I can't ignore the fact that it really hasn't been much of a marriage..."

"Neither can I," Ginny said softly as her eyes filled with tears.

They sat in silence for a while after that, neither of them able to believe that this was actually happening. Harry understood then, why they had avoided the issue for so long. It was just too painful. He thought about his children and wondered how they were going to handle it. Would they be okay? Would they understand? Would it be possible to still be a family after this? He and Ginny had pretended to be the happy couple for so long that it would come as a shock to everyone. How would the Weasleys deal with it? What would Ron and Hermione say? Would they understand or would they just put pressure on them to work things out and fix their marriage?

The silence in the kitchen was starting to feel oppressive. They were both hurt and upset and they needed time and space to think about all of this and to gather themselves. They needed some time away from each other...Ginny was the first to get up from the table.

"Harry, do you mind if I go to Ron and Hermione's place for the night?" She said.

"Are you going to talk to Hermione about this?" Harry said.

"Well, yes. I need to. She's my best friend. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather go to, right now...Also, I think I should tell Ron when you're not around. You know how he can get."

_Well, she's my best friend too,_  he thought. But then he realised that he wouldn't go to Hermione now, even if he had the option. Hermione was a dear friend, but he had no desire just then to be questioned to within an inch of his life and then have all his actions, his motivations and his mistakes laid out for him,  _which is exactly what Hermione will do_ , he thought ruefully. So he shrugged and said, "Fine, go ahead, talk to her and...manage your brother." Ginny had a point about Ron, he realised. Ron would have difficulty accepting that his sister's marriage was in trouble and when he did, he would blame Harry. He would come around, of course, but that would be his first reaction.

"Are you going to be alright?" She said as she stood uncertainly in front of the fireplace.

"Eventually."

She looked sad for a moment and then she nodded. She picked up the floo powder and stepped into the flames and then she was gone.

...

It was a couple of hours later. Harry was sitting on his couch in the living room, staring at the flames and thinking. He found himself going over that conversation with Ginny in his head. A part of him was wondering if they had made the right decision, if maybe they'd feel differently once a few days had passed and they'd both had some time to think. But then he realised that no matter how many days went by, nothing in their lives would change because neither of them was willing to change for the other. And then there was the undeniable fact that they didn't love each other anymore, so they might as well stop the pretence and make it official.

It hurt so very much to think that. He felt like such a failure. And he felt so alone. He wished he had someone to share all of this with. He had friends besides Ron and Hermione, of course, but they were Ginny's friends as well and they would all get on his back about it and insist that he fix things with his wife. He didn't need that kind of advice right now. In fact, he didn't need any advice. He just needed someone to listen to him and not judge him for choosing his happiness over his marriage.

He had considered going over to meet Draco, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Draco was proving to be a very good friend. Harry had no doubt that he would listen to him without judgement. In fact spending some time with Draco might actually do him a lot of good. But he decided against it, because he felt that he had already imposed enough on their friendship which was still very new and rather delicate. He didn't want to keep doing it.  _It wouldn't be fair to him_ , he thought as he sat there and continued to stare at the flames while his thoughts chased each other in his head.

It got to be too much for him after a while. So he walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a couple of bottles of firewhiskey. He walked back to the couch and sat down and then poured himself a drink. He gulped it down quickly and then he had another and another and another. He was slowly getting drunk. He knew that this not a good way to deal with anything, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

...

Meanwhile, back in Scotland, Draco was pacing in front of his fireplace, just as he had been the night before. Once again, he wanted to floo call Harry, but he wasn't sure if that would be okay. He paused and stared at the flames and wondered what it was about Harry that made him feel so tentative. Perhaps the fact that he'd wanted his friendship for so long and had pretty much never expected to have it. And now that he did, he didn't want to mess it up. And hence, the tendency to over think everything. He looked up when he heard an impatient huff aimed at him.

Snape was glaring at him from his portrait. "Stop pacing, will you? You're giving me a headache."

Draco rolled his eyes at him, but he did stop pacing. He sat down on the couch and stared at the fire place instead.

"Do make up your mind, Draco. It can't be that difficult," Snape said, kindly.

"It is."

"No, it's not. You want to talk to Potter...so just call him. Use the bloody floo instead of staring at it. I don't see why you have to agonise over it like this. I can't say that I understand your desire to fraternise with that brat, but if you want to, you should just talk to him. Be decisive. Go after him, damn you!"

"What do you mean, go after him? We're just friends..."

Snape snorted. "Don't insult my intelligence, Draco. It couldn't be more obvious that you like him," he said, as if he found the idea extremely distasteful.

"He's married," Draco offered.

"Not for long...not if your conversations over the last few days are anything to go by."

"So you've been listening in, then."

"Of course. I heard everything he said and plenty that he didn't."

"And what was that?"

"He's desperately unhappy in his marriage and he wants to get out. Though I'm not sure he knows that yet. Potter was never particularly self aware. He would never have married that Weasley girl if he had been. That's the thing with these heroes...all action and no thought."

Draco sighed. He couldn't deny that he had started to have some totally non platonic feelings for Harry. Perhaps they had always been there and he was only just seeing them. Perhaps it was those feelings that had driven him to seek Harry's friendship in the first place. He sat back and thought about their strange association. Harry had come to see him about a case over a year ago. They hadn't seen each other for over twenty years before that. It had been strange to meet as adults after only having known each other as rivals in school.

They had both been stiff and polite and careful to maintain their distance. But Draco had noticed the first time that they met that Harry had grown into a very attractive man indeed. It had been a surprising thought and one that he had clamped down on almost immediately. He had believed that nothing would come of thinking about Harry that way and he simply hadn't let himself think like that again. It was those feelings that that made him try harder to keep their association entirely professional.

They might, in fact, have become friends sooner if he hadn't been so set on not letting them. But over the months, Harry's friendliness and geniality had started to tear down all of his barriers and in the end, it had been Draco who'd made the first move towards friendship and Harry had readily accepted it. They were friends now and whatever Draco's feelings might be, he thought that there could be no harm in being there for Harry, at what was clearly a difficult time in his life. So he decided to stop dithering and go see his friend for no reason other than,  _I want to_.

So he walked up to his fireplace and threw in the floo powder and then he was looking out of the fireplace in Harry's living room. The house was eerily quiet and there didn't seem to be anyone around. He stepped a bit further out of the flames and looked again. It was then that he saw a hand sticking out from under the coffee table. It was then that he realised that Harry was lying sprawled on the carpet by the couch.

If the empty bottles of firewhisky were anything to go by, he had been drinking heavily and he had probably passed out. And he was alone...That thought made his heart clench painfully _. Harry is much too special to be throwing his life away like this and if that Weasley bint can't_   _be arsed to take care of him, she doesn't deserve him_ , he thought fiercely as he stepped out of the flames and walked up to the couch.

He sat down on the carpet and lifted Harry up so that he was resting against his shoulder. He looked down at him and he noticed that he looked sad even in his sleep. He had a desperate urge to run his fingers through that unruly black hair and to gently caress that stubbled cheek and that strong jaw...but he held himself in check. That would not be appropriate at all, he thought and then he sighed.

He shook him gently and tried to wake him up. But he couldn't. Harry was out cold. Draco had noticed that Harry had a tendency to drink a little too much...Harry had told him just the previous night as he was pouring out the wine that, "Wine is my favourite drink in the world. It is what I have when I'm happy or in good company. But firewhisky is what I have when I'm upset or I just want to get drunk." Clearly something had happened to upset him badly if he'd actually drunk himself into oblivion like this.

_This is never going to happen again, not if I have anything to say about it_ , he thought angrily as he put a weightless charm on Harry and carried him up to his bedroom. He settled him on the bed and then he took off his socks and shoes and pulled the covers over him. Harry hadn't shown any awareness through all this. Draco felt sick at heart as he sat on the bed and watched him. He looked around after a while and noticed the travel bag on the floor by the closet. G.W.P the initials on the bag said.

_His wife must have come home today. They probably had a fight. And then she left. But she hasn't taken her bags with her, so maybe she went to visit her parents or a friend, perhaps. Which means she could be back anytime,_  he thought. He had no desire to be found by Harry's wife so he decided to leave. But he couldn't leave without saying anything. So he wrote a little note and charmed it so only Harry would be able to read it.

He put it on the bedside table and he meant to turn around and leave, but he couldn't. He stood by the bed watching Harry sleep and he couldn't deny anymore that somehow he had come to care very deeply for this man and he would do pretty much anything to make him happy and before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned down and kissed Harry softly on his forehead. He shook himself and decided that he really should leave then he turned around and quickly went down the stairs and left by the floo. Snape was mercifully away when Draco got back, so he managed to get to get to bed without having to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions.


	24. Chapter 24

Albus and Scorpius left the room of requirement just a little before curfew. They were both reluctant to go back to their dorms. They walked down the seventh floor corridor holding hands. They passed a few people on their way to the Ravenclaw common room. They got a few curious looks and a couple of knowing glances, but no one said anything. They stopped outside the portrait and looked at each other. It was time to say goodnight. But they weren't ready to let go of each other yet, given the kind of intimacy that they'd shared that evening.

Albus was so happy that it was ridiculous. He felt like he was floating and that Scorpius was his only anchor. Scorpius was dazed. He felt like he had his head in the clouds. He loved Albus so much at that moment that it was almost painful to contemplate. They would've given a lot to stay together that night. But that wasn't really a possibility, so they had to let go of each other...somehow.

"I love you," Scorpius whispered as he pulled Albus into a kiss.

"I love you too," Albus said as he kissed him back and nuzzled lightly against his neck. He smiled when he saw the purple and blue marks on that beautifully pale neck.  _Mine_ , he thought possessively, claimed and marked for the world to see.

"Yes, yours," Scorpius whispered knowing exactly what his boyfriend was thinking. He ran his fingers lightly over Albus' neck looking at the marks that he had put there and thinking that despite all the confrontations that their 'coming out' would inevitably cause, it was a relief to finally be able to tell everyone that  _Albus belongs to me..._ he thought _._  They held each other for another couple of minutes and then they finally kissed goodbye.

"Meet me outside the great hall tomorrow, before breakfast," Albus said.

"You want to make an entrance?"

"Considering all the questioning and the teasing that I'll have to endure now, I think an entrance will be necessary," Albus said, as he leaned forward to kiss his boyfriend again.

"I just don't want to let go of you," he said.

"I know," Scorpius said. "All I want is to take you back to my dorm, push you on to my bed and snog you senseless. Then I want to make love to you and I want to fall asleep with your arms about me..."

Albus groaned in frustration. "I want all of that too," he whispered. "But I have to let you go and go back to my dorm and face endless questions and arguments, instead. Damn!"

"Look, just go and get all that stuff out of the way, okay. People will get used to us soon enough and they'll stop interfering and asking questions. And when that happens, I'm damned if I ever let you sleep anywhere other than in my bed."

"Mmmm...I really like the sound of that."

"Good. Just get through this and I promise we'll stay together tomorrow night," Scorpius said.

"Okay," Albus said, as he reluctantly stepped away.

"Take care of yourself, love and don't let James get to you."

"I'll try," Albus said. They stood there and looked at each other for another long minute. Finally Scorpius pushed the door behind the portrait open and stepped in. Albus turned and walked away.

He made it to Gryffindor tower without incident. He stepped through the portrait hole and saw that the common room was full and loud. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. He saw James and Lily on the other side of the room. They seemed to be arguing fiercely. It was a couple of seconds before anyone noticed him and once they did, the entire room fell silent. It was like they were all waiting for him to say or do something. For a moment he wondered how they would react if he ignored them all and simply walked up to the dorm and shut the door.

But he had barely moved before James was standing in front of him and glaring. He looked livid. "Is that rumour true? Are you in a relationship with Malfoy?"

"It's true," Albus said coolly. Everyone in the common room was watching and listening. He didn't want to be arguing with his brother in such a public place. So he turned and made for the stairs.

James grabbed him by his wrist and stopped him. "Where do you think you're going?" He said.

"I'm going up to the dorm. I don't want to do this here," Albus said.

James looked like he wanted to argue, but angry as he was, he knew that Albus had a point. Whatever this was, it was between them. No need to give the entire common room a look in. So he nodded and followed his brother up the stairs much to the disappointment of everyone else. They sensed that a fight was in the offing and they hated that they were missing out. Everyone was curious to see how Albus would handle James.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, getting involved with Malfoy?" James said as soon as the door closed behind them.

"The same thing that you've been doing with Jennifer for the last few months. You don't see me getting all testy about that do you?" Albus said.

"It's not the same," James growled.

"And why is that?"

"He's a boy! And he's a Malfoy!" James said. He was angry, but he was bewildered as well. He just couldn't stomach the idea of his brother being with another boy and Malfoy at that...It felt as if everything that he knew about his brother had been turned on its head. It left him feeling very unsettled. This was not how things were supposed to be.

"Don't tell me you're homophobic too, in addition to all your other sterling qualities," Albus said icily. He was really angry with James. He was angry that he had tried to hurt Scorpius and he was irritated at the way he was carrying now as if he had a right to dictate Albus' choices. It was time that James was completely disabused of that notion and Albus was going to do it as emphatically as possible.

"I'm not homophobic! But I can't wrap my head around your so called relationship, because you're not gay!"

"And you know that exactly how?"

"You've never gone out with a guy before."

"So? I'm only sixteen. Didn't it strike you that I might only just have figured myself out?"

James stared at his brother in disbelief. "So you're...gay?" He said.

"Bi, if you must know."

"Oh. That means you can date girls as well."

"Yes, that is exactly what being bisexual means," Albus replied sarcastically.

James glared in response. "Then why would you choose to be involved with a boy?"

"You say that like you find it utterly distasteful. Reeks of homophobia, if you ask me," Albus knew that he was goading his brother but he couldn't help it and he didn't want to, considering how pig headed James was being.

"I am not homophobic! It's okay for other people, but my own brother...I don't see why you would choose to be with a boy...like that."

"Do you hear yourself, Jamie? You sound so small minded and downright stupid. Honestly, how did you get like this?"

"How dare you?" James growled.

"How dare you? You stand here insulting everything that I am and you expect me to just take it? How thick are you?"

"I am not thick. You are the one who is stupid enough to be in a relationship with Malfoy. I don't know how you can be involved with that git. It is some kind of an experiment? Your idea of a rebellion?"

Albus was furious. "No, Jamie. I am not experimenting and I'm not rebelling. I am in love for the first time in my life and aside from you and your insistence on behaving like a bloody pain in the neck, I am happier than I have ever been. I love Scorpius very much and if you ever insult him or try to hurt him again, I will not hesitate to hex your balls off. This is my life and I'm happy with it. I don't care what you think about me or my choices. So I would appreciate it if you kept your small minded opinions to yourself."

James was stunned. Albus had never spoken to him like this before. "I can't believe you spoke to me like that. I'm your brother, Al. I'm just trying to look out for you. But clearly you don't care about me anymore. It is all about Scorpius now. Don't you see what that git is doing to you? You've changed. You've become nasty and mean..."

"I've become nasty and mean? That's rich, coming from you. You're the epitome of the nice guy aren't you?" Albus spat. James took a step back surprised by the venom in his brother's voice.

Albus was surprised to hear it too. He sighed. He tried to calm down. He hated situations like these. He was a patient soul by nature and it usually took a lot to get him angry, but when he did, he could lose his temper quite spectacularly and say a lot of things that he would ordinarily think twice about. He'd come here hoping to talk things out calmly with his brother, but the sight of James glaring at him like that had set him off.

What right did James have, to be angry? Albus had done nothing to hurt him. But James had assaulted Scorpius for no reason and here he was, angry with Albus for his choice of boyfriend. How dare James judge him or Scorpius? What did he know about them and their relationship? What right did he have, to demand an explanation? Albus found himself getting angry again, but he calmed himself. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. James was clearly not capable of understanding. He couldn't see beyond the fact that Albus was involved with Scorpius and that Scorpius was a Malfoy. So he decided to end it.

"No, Jamie, I haven't changed," he said softly. "I've woken up. I've realised that I cannot live my life based on other people's expectations. I need to make the kind of choices that make me happy and Scorpius makes me happy. I know you can't understand it, but I can't help you there. You've got this completely baseless prejudice against him for no reason other than that he's a Malfoy."

"His grandfather was horrible man, but that has nothing to do with Scorpius and before you mention his father, let me tell you that whatever he may have done in the past, he's changed now. He's paid his dues. He's a genuinely good person now. You have no valid reason to dislike either of them. And yet you do. Maybe you should think about that sometime. And I really meant what I said before. I'm in love with Scorpius. I will not stand by and let you insult him. And if you try to hurt him again, I will not hesitate to hurt you."

"This is not about choosing him over you. This is about doing what is right. Scorpius has never done anything to harm you. So you have no reason to hurt him. You don't have to like him, Jamie. Just stay away from him and let me live my life the way I want, alright. I've never questioned or tried to control any of your choices. I would appreciate it if you could extend the same courtesy to me," Albus said.

James stood there looking stunned. His anger was almost gone. He was still very confused, but he had to admit that his brother had given him plenty to think about. Albus had said that he was in love with Scorpius. So this wasn't just a fling or an experiment as he'd initially thought. James found it hard to stomach that, but he knew that he had no choice. He couldn't force Albus do anything that he didn't want to.

He realised that Albus was growing up. He was coming into his own. It made him feel a bit like he was losing his brother, but he couldn't deny that Albus had every right to make his own choices. He stared at his brother silently for a moment and then he turned and left the dorm without another word.

Albus stood staring after his brother. His anger was all gone now and he felt drained. He just wanted to go to sleep and forget everything and everyone for a while. He washed up and got changed and then he got into bed after having shut the curtains and put a privacy spell on them. He knew that Frank would want to talk to him, but he simply wasn't in the mood. He lay back in bed breathing deeply, trying to get himself to sleep. He missed Scorpius acutely. He would've given a lot just to be able to hold him right then.

...

It was the morning of the next day. Harry woke up with a massive hangover. His head was throbbing and he felt like he was going to be sick any moment.  _So much for drowning my_   _sorrows_ , he thought as he rushed into the bathroom and threw up. It wasn't until he walked back into the bedroom that he wondered how he had got there. He remembered sitting on the couch and drinking. Had Ginny come back home and brought him upstairs? No. The house felt empty. So she hadn't come back and even if she had, she would simply have covered him with a blanket and left him on the couch as she had a few times before _. I_   _couldn't have walked up surely? I was too drunk_ , he thought as he fumbled for his glasses on the bedside table. He saw the note the moment he put his glasses on.

It was a small square of parchment with his name inscribed in green ink in an elegant script that he would recognise anywhere.  _Draco...Draco was here last night. He was the one who brought me up_   _here and_...Harry was torn between embarrassment at the realisation that Draco had seen him the previous night when had passed out from drinking too much...  _Merlin! I must look like such a loser to him_... and gratitude that the other man had actually taken the trouble to bring him up to his bedroom and settle him comfortably under the covers... _He even took my shoes and socks off_ , Harry thought as he cringed with embarrassment.  _What a_   _sorry sight I must have made..._ He shook himself out of his thoughts and opened the note.

_Dear Harry,_

_I know that you're feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable right now at the thought of the state that I must have found you in last night. I also know that you are berating yourself about it. Please don't. There is no need. I've known you too long for my opinion of you to be affected by something as inconsequential as this. There is no need for gratitude either. I care about you and I only did what anyone would do for a friend._

_It is obvious that something happened that upset you enough for you to drink yourself into oblivion. I wish that you had chosen to talk to me instead. I would've helped in any way that I could. I know that you are in the habit of dealing with all your problems on your own. But please understand that it is not weakness to admit that you just want to be taken care of sometimes._

_You're going through a difficult time right now and I want to help you. I would be extremely gratified if you would let me. I know what you're thinking right now and I wish you would stop. You are not a loser, Harry. Not at all. You are a very special person and I wish you wouldn't lose sight of that. Please take care of yourself and let me help you in any way that I can. Hoping to see you soon,_

_Draco._

Harry had tears in his eyes when he finished reading that note. It was exactly what he needed to hear just then. It meant so much to know there was at least one person in his life who cared enough to reach out with an offer to help, without judging him for his mistakes and telling him what to do and how to be. Draco had just given him something that he had craved all his life...acceptance.


	25. Chapter 25

Albus woke up early the next morning after a night of fitful sleep. He was tired and irritable and he was not looking forward to a day in which he knew that he would be scrutinised, stared at and talked about...But he couldn't wait to see Scorpius. So he got out of bed and got ready for the day. Frank woke up just as he was getting dressed.

"Couldn't sleep?" Frank said as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"No...too restless."

"Hmmm...wait for me?" Frank said as he stood up and gathered his clothes.

"Sure," Albus finished dressing and then he sat down on his bed and picked up his bag. He hadn't been able to get his homework done the previous day and he only had a couple of hours before classes were due to start. So he propped himself up against the headboard, got his textbooks and his parchments out, picked up his quill and got to work. Soon enough, he was so engrossed in detailing the mechanics of animagus transformations that he forgot all about his irritation and lack of sleep.

Frank came out of the bathroom and got dressed. He stood still for a moment as he saw a small smile on Albus' face as he read through his text and took notes. Albus felt his friend's eyes on him and he looked up. "What?" He said.

"You're the only bloke I know who's cheered up by studying," Frank said.

"I like learning new things. So what?" Albus said as he went back to his work, that little smile firmly in place.

Frank watched him for another couple of minutes, thinking how different Albus was from the stereotype of the teenage boy. "You're crazy," he said finally.

"No more than that girl you've gone and fallen in love with," Albus replied calmly as he continued to work.

"How did you...I mean...I'm not in love with her."

"Yeah right," Albus said as he gave Frank a look which clearly said, "Don't bullshit me. I can see right through you."

"Okay. Maybe I am in love with her...a little."

"You think the sun rises and sets on her, Frank. I don't think 'a little' quite covers that."

"Yeah, okay. I'm crazy about her, alright and it scares me," he added in a small voice.

"I take it you haven't told her, then."

"I'm afraid she'll think it is too early. We've only been together three months now." Frank said, as he sat there fiddling with his tie. He had no idea how Rose felt about him and all the wondering was starting to get to him.

"Frank, you're stupid if you don't know that Rosie is crazy about you too. Do you honestly think she'd have slept with you otherwise?" Albus said as he quickly scanned his parchment. Then he put his quill aside, rolled up his parchment and packed his bag.

"Oh! I hadn't thought of it like that..." Frank said as he continued to fidget with his tie.

"Just tell her, Frank and let go of that tie before you strangle yourself."

Frank got up to gather his books. He was thinking about what Albus had said as they made their way downstairs. Rose and Scorpius were waiting by the door of the great hall. Albus walked up to his boyfriend and hugged him tight. Scorpius smiled happily as he hugged back. It felt so good to greet each other openly like that.

Rose greeted her boyfriend the way she always did. She smiled and reached up to kiss him on his cheek. She stepped back with a fond smile on her face. Frank could feel his heart flutter at the sight of it.  _Damn! I have to tell her soon. I can't keep it inside me_   _anymore_ , he thought as he took her hand and led her to breakfast.

Albus and Scorpius walked into the great hall holding hands. They were very aware of the fact that everyone was looking at them. Most of the students just looked curious. A lot of them smiled and nodded approvingly at them. But there were some who looked uncomfortable at the sight of them together.  _Well, there were always going to be a few_   _who felt like that,_  Albus thought.

He couldn't fault them, not really, considering the way his own brother had reacted to the idea of Albus being with another boy. And so long as they stayed away from him and from Scorpius, he didn't care what their opinions were. Scorpius noticed the direction that Albus' eyes had taken and he could easily guess the train of his thoughts. "There are always going to be a few small minded people in the world, love," he said.

"I know. I don't care about them. Not really," Albus said. It was difficult, but they'd decided not to let any of the attention trouble them. So they went to their place at the Ravenclaw table and they carried on entirely as usual. Scorpius looked up at the head table to see his father smiling approvingly at them.

James was staring at them. He had a thoughtful look on his face. He made no attempt to approach them or to say anything. Fred still looked uncomfortable, but he always followed James' lead, so he kept to himself as well. Louis though, was another matter entirely. He stared at Albus and Scorpius all through the meal. He didn't seem angry or uncomfortable. He was just looking. Albus wondered what was going on. He had the distinct feeling that he was missing something.

...

Harry sat on his bed and read the note again. Then he walked over to his table and sat down to write a reply. It took him a while because his head was aching and he felt nauseous. But finally he was done. He read the letter over and nodded, feeling satisfied. Then he opened the window and whistled. His owl swooped down and settled on the window sill. Artemis was a handsome eagle owl. Harry had bought him just over a year ago. He was regal and he tended to act superior to the other owls in the house, but he was highly intelligent and he was very obviously fond of Harry.

He nuzzled his head against Harry's hand and then he stuck his leg out and waited for Harry to secure the parchment and then he inclined his head and listened carefully as he was told where to go. The he flew up to Harry's shoulder and gently pecked his ear in what could only be described as an affectionate manner and then he was gone. That little interaction left Harry with a smile on his face.

He went into the bathroom to take a shower but his head was still throbbing painfully. So he took a dose of hangover potion and lay down in bed waiting for the head ache to subside. He thought about what Draco had said in the note and he realised again just how foolish he had been the previous night. His behaviour had been self destructive. And he was heartily ashamed of it.

_Never again_ , he decided as he lay there staring at the ceiling, wondering how long it would be before Draco got his letter. His eyes closed of their own accord and he was asleep in a matter of minutes. That was how Ginny and Hermione found him when they came through the floo sometime in the afternoon. Neither of them had the heart to wake him up so they let him be.

...

Draco walked back to his rooms at lunch time and called the house elves. He had invited Albus and Scorpius to lunch with him. They'd had an eventful couple of days and he wanted to hear all about it. He thought of himself as a hands-on dad and he liked to be involved in his son's life and now that now Albus and Scorpius were together, Albus ended up getting the same kind of attention and affection...The boys turned up just as the house elves had finished setting the table.

They were ready enough to talk so they told him everything that had happened and Draco listened with the occasional comment, thinking as they finished, that he was really proud of them, particularly the way they had handled James. He told them so and he was amused by the way they flushed in response to the praise. Albus in particular, looked like he'd really needed to hear that. They had just started dessert when there was a tapping at the window. They looked up and Albus recognised the owl immediately. "Artemis!" He said as he went up to the bird. "That's dad's owl." He said, clearly wondering why his dad was writing to Draco.

Draco silently cursed the bird and his timing as he took the roll of parchment. "Must be about work," he said casually, his Malfoy mask firmly on place. He opened it and glanced through it quickly. It was with the greatest effort that he held back a smile. It wouldn't do to react like that in front of the boys. He rolled up the parchment, put it in his pocket and got back to what they'd been talking about before they were interrupted.

By the time they finished their meal, it was time for afternoon classes to begin, so Draco didn't get a chance to read the letter properly. He had two classes to take after lunch. He got through them somehow, though his mind was simply not on his work just then. It was four in the afternoon when he finished. He walked back into his rooms, shut the door, pulled off his cloak and settled down to read Harry's letter properly.

_Dear Draco,_

_I cannot thank you enough for everything that you did for me last night. You said that there is no need for gratitude, but I cannot help but feel it. It was very kind of you and I hope to do more to deserve your kindness than be stupid and drink myself silly. It was, as I said, a very stupid thing to do and I hope I will show more sense in the future._

_And now for some honesty. Something did happen that upset me badly yesterday. I had in fact, considered coming over to see you, but I didn't, because I was afraid of imposing on you. I have already spent too much of our time together rambling about my problems and I felt quite ashamed of that last night. I just couldn't bring myself to do it again._

_I know that what I have just said will probably make you angry. I'm sorry I didn't come and talk to you yesterday. I should have trusted your friendship enough to impose on you. Reading your note made me feel quite emotional. It is good to know that you care about me so much. Though I honestly cannot see what I have done to deserve it._

_I'd like to make amends if you would let me. I want to take you out to dinner tonight if that is okay with you. I hear there is a charming new French restaurant in Hogsmeade. There probably isn't enough time for you to owl me back. So will call you around six and you can let me know then. Thank you for being such a good friend. Hoping to see you soon,_

_Harry._

Draco finished reading the letter and he smiled. He was happy and relieved. He had been a little worried about Harry's reaction to his note. He had gone over it again and again in his head, wondering if he had said too much. And here Harry was, wanting to make amends.  _I wonder if he realises that he has pretty much asked me out on a date?_   _Knowing Harry, he probably doesn't._ Draco sat there for a while rolling and unrolling the parchment in his hands and thinking...

Then he saw the time... _I'd better hurry_ , he decided. He walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower and got dressed. It was around five thirty when he was done. He read the letter again. He put it away. He tried to read a book, but he couldn't focus. He kept looking at the clock every other minute. It was still only five forty five.  _Damn!_  He paced up and down for a while. Then he sighed and decided that he was being silly. So he sat down in his favourite armchair and stared at the fireplace. All he had to do now, was wait for Harry to call.

...

Harry woke up with a start. He felt sluggish and disoriented. He'd only meant to lie down for a few minutes.  _I must have fallen asleep. I wonder what time it is_ , he thought as he picked up his wand and cast a quick tempus. It was five 'o' clock in the afternoon. He saw the time and then he cursed and bolted into the bathroom. It was five thirty when he ran down the stairs fully dressed, only to walk into a Weasley family gathering.

Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ron, Hermione, George, Angelina and Ginny were sitting around the dining table and talking...All of them, that is, except Ginny. Harry was in no mood to get drawn into that conversation. Besides, he was on his way to see Draco and that was pretty important to him right then. He wondered briefly if he could somehow apparate out of there without anybody knowing but Ron spotted him just then and called him over.  _Bugger!_


	26. Chapter 26

Harry cursed silently as he made his way to the dining table. He greeted everyone politely, but he made no move to sit down. He noticed that Ginny looked weary. Clearly, this conversation had been going on for a while. But why had Ginny told her mother already? Surely that could have waited a couple of days. Then he realised that it probably hadn't been Ginny. It must have been Ron.  _Damn!_

"Harry, are you going somewhere?" Ginny said.

"I'm going to my office."

"Now?"

"Yeah. I have a few things I need to sort out."

"I'm sure it can wait, Harry," Ron said.

"No Ron. It can't. I'm taking a month off starting tomorrow, so I really need to get this stuff done today."

"You're taking a month off work?" Hermione said. Her surprise was obvious.

"Yeah. I want to spend the holiday with the kids. I hardly saw them over the summer."

Molly nodded approvingly. "That's good, Harry. It'll give you and Ginny some time to work out your issues as well."

Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Mum, I've told you already, there is nothing to work out."

"Don't be silly, dear. One doesn't just end a marriage on a whim like that," Molly said.

Harry decided that it was time to take a stand. He'd asked himself the previous night if he'd wake up and feel differently about the decision to end his marriage. Waking up and thinking about it again, had left him convinced that ending it was the right thing to do. It was obvious that Ginny felt the same. So now they just had to make everyone else understand...or not.

The previous night had been a real low for him. And he was very aware of the fact that if he continued to be in this marriage, he would continue to be unhappy. So it didn't really matter what anyone else thought or expected. Wasn't that what he'd told his son a few days ago?

"It's not a whim, Molly," Harry said. "We've been having problems for a long time."

"But...you always seemed so happy," Molly said. She looked bewildered. Harry found himself feeling sorry for her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know this comes as a bit of a shock, but we're not happy with each other, not at all. Maybe we should have said something before, but we've been in denial ourselves..."

"But Harry, if you've just figured out that you have a problem, shouldn't you give yourselves some time to fix it? I don't know why you're so eager to end it," Ron said.

"I'm not eager to end it, Ron. I've had twenty years of being married and being alone. I can't do it anymore. It hurts too much. Ginny doesn't want the quiet life that I want and I'm not the kind of man that she wants. We're both unhappy and resentful, so what's the point of being married?"

"But...you love each other," Molly said.

"That's just the point, mum," Ginny said. "We don't love each other. Not anymore. It was not easy to accept, believe me. It still hurts to admit it. But it's true. We've been in denial for years. And I simply cannot do it anymore."

"But you, what, that's not true!" Ron said.

"It is," Ginny said.

"But..." Molly said, looking from Ginny to Harry as if she was hoping that Harry would contradict his wife.

"Ginny's right," Harry said quietly.

"So what...you're going to get a divorce just like that? What about the kids?" Angelina said.

"We're not doing anything just like that. We've decided to end our marriage. How we're going to go about it, what we're going to tell the kids, that's stuff we haven't had a chance to talk about yet. There are still a few days before the kids come home. We'll have it all sorted out before then," Harry said.

He was starting to get impatient. This discussion wasn't headed anywhere. If anyone had to talk, it was he and Ginny. But this was definitely not the time for that. And he really had to go. He had no explanation for it, but he needed to see Draco. He needed that quiet dinner and the interesting conversation. He just needed some time away from the mess that was his life at the moment. And if he didn't leave soon, he would be late. It was time to end this.

He looked around the table. Everyone was quiet. Molly was clearly very upset. Arthur looked like he didn't know what to think. Ron just glared angrily at Harry and Ginny. He couldn't understand how they could be so stupid. He was sure that they were making a big mistake. Hermione nodded to Harry to indicate that she understood what he was saying. Harry felt sorry for them again. After all, they were only here because they cared about him and Ginny.

"Molly, Arthur, what is it that you want really?" Harry said. "You want us to be happy, right? Well, we're both unhappy together. It's time to end this. It's sad I know, but some things don't work out."

"Well, if the two of you are so sure, there's not much left to say, I suppose," Arthur Weasley said. He sounded resigned.

"But Arthur..." Molly began.

"No, Molly. There is nothing we can do. If anything, we should stop interfering."

"How can you say that, Dad?" Ron said, "Harry and Ginny are making a big mistake. We can't just let them."

"No, Ron, I think they're doing the right thing," Hermione said. "It may not be something that you would do, but it's the right thing for them."

Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why was everyone okay with this? This was so not okay. This was his little sister throwing away the best thing in her life. How could she even think that she didn't love Harry anymore? She'd been crazy about him since she was ten. Feelings like that don't just go away, surely.

"Well guys, I'm sorry, but I can't stay any more. I really have to go," Harry said.

"But Harry..." Ron began again. He looked bewildered.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but I do have to go."

Then he turned to his wife. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure," she said and then she stepped out into the hall with him.

"Are you going to be at home tonight?" He asked her, once they were out of earshot.

"Hermione and I were going to go out to dinner. So I'll probably be back late," Ginny said.

"I'll be late getting back as well," Harry said. "I think we should get a few things sorted out tonight, about living arrangements and the kids and so on..."

"Right, of course," she said. Then she put a hand on his arm and said, "I'm glad you're okay with this, Harry. It is the right thing to do, for both of us...I hope you don't take this amiss, but making the decision to split has been a bit liberating, actually...I didn't realise how much resentment I was holding on to. It was really hurting me. I feel like I can let go if it now."

"I know what you mean," he said softly. "Let's hope this means we can still be friends."

"Of course we can. I care about you, Harry and I always will. I'm glad we're being sensible about this. I would've hated it if things had turned ugly."

"I know. Take care, Gin," he said and then he gave her a quick hug and stepped into the floo.

...

He stepped out into his office and stashed his bag and his papers. Then he adjusted his robes and picked up the floo powder again. A moment later, at exactly six 'o' clock, he was stepping through the fireplace into Draco's living room.

Draco saw him and got out of his chair. He'd been waiting to see Harry all day, so he couldn't quite control the smile that crossed his face.

Harry had never seen Draco smile like that...so open and unguarded and just happy.  _That is_   _such an attractive smile_ , he thought.

"So, are you free for dinner?" Harry said.

"Of course. Shall we go?"

"Not yet. There's something I want to tell you first. Why don't we sit down?" Harry said.

They settled into the armchairs in front of the fire and got talking. Neither of them noticed Snape leaning forward in his portrait, to listen. Harry told Draco everything that had happened the previous night, the problems in his marriage and the decision to end it...Draco had gently prodded him to talk about this a couple of times in the past week, but Harry hadn't been able to. He'd been too uncomfortable, afraid that he would look like a loser. But with everything that Draco had done the previous night and with everything that he'd said in that note, he'd brought down all of Harry's barriers.

Harry had never found it easy to make friends or to share himself with anyone. But once he got close to someone, he tended to give them everything he had. And that was what this conversation was about. He was finally opening up to Draco and letting him into his life. Draco, for his part, found it hard to believe that Harry was being so open with him.

When Harry told him that he and Ginny had decided to end their marriage, he paused as if he wanted to hear Draco's opinion...Draco was thrilled, of course, not that he was ready to admit it, even to himself.  _I'm just happy for Harry. The Weaslette is just not_   _right for him. Clearly she doesn't appreciate him enough_ , he thought.

"Whatever makes you happy, Harry," he said.

They talked some more after that and then they set off for Hogsmeade. It was a lovely walk on a moonlit night and Draco for one, did not fail to appreciate the romance of it. Harry just thought that it was a beautiful night. Draco knew this of course. It made him want to sigh. But then, whatever his own feelings, he knew that it was foolish to expect Harry to return them.

He turned to look at him for a moment and he was struck afresh by Harry's genuinely striking looks. The dark hair, the gorgeous green of his eyes, the strong jaw, the lithe frame that gave an impression of suppressed strength and the buzz of power that always seemed to surround him...they all added up to a very beautiful and desirable man that Draco realised that he was rapidly losing his heart to. It was reckless of him, considering that he gave himself no hope that his feelings would be returned. But he was too far gone...so he just went with the flow.

It was wonderful to walk through Hogsmeade. Draco was there often enough, but it had actually been years since Harry had been there and his enthusiasm was catching. Naturally they started to reminisce and Draco realised, much to his mortification that Harry seemed to remember every silly thing that Draco had said and done back when they were in school together.

The incident with the invisibility cloak in front of the shrieking shack back in third year was brought up and discussed thoroughly until Draco felt like he wanted to pelt Harry with snowballs until he screamed. But embarrassed as he was, the sight of Harry laughing so whole heartedly was just too charming. So Draco gave up on his bruised ego and laughed along _. Merlin! I have it bad. I'm besotted...If only Harry wasn't so bloody oblivious._

"You were such a prat!" Harry said.

"I know. You said."

"But you've changed so much. You're brilliant at what you do and you seem so happy and content and together all the time. I can't tell you how much I admire you. Honestly."

Draco had no idea what to say to that. Harry was one of those people who was unerringly honest about his thoughts and feelings. Draco had known that for years, but to have that honestly directed at him was a bit overwhelming.

They got to the restaurant which was charming, as reported and they were settled in a quiet corner by the window overlooking the snow filled and moon lit street. Needless to say, it was very romantic. Draco couldn't help but wonder what Harry was trying to do to him. Why the beautiful setting, why the cosy restaurant, the wonderful wine and the lovely food? How on earth was he supposed to control his thoughts and enjoy what was clearly only a friendly dinner if Harry was going to keep doing this? He had no answer to that and no choice other than to tell his errant mind to behave itself and focus on the conversation.

They talked a lot over dinner. They were both a bit surprised at how easy it was to make conversation. Their sons came up for discussion at one point and Draco told Harry about the way the boys had outed themselves. Harry was surprised. He couldn't believe what Albus had done. He wouldn't have been surprised to hear that James or Lily had done something like that, but Albus had always been so shy.

"I think Scorpius has been a wonderful influence on him," Harry said. "A couple of months ago, Al would never have done something like this. I'm glad he's finally asserting himself."

"Scorpius may have helped, but Albus is determined enough on his own," Draco said. "We haven't seen much of that, because he's generally so easy going, but this relationship with Scorpius has given him something that he really cares about. So now he's standing his ground..."

It warmed Harry to see the obvious affection that Draco had for Albus and he said so. "I can't help it, Harry. He's such a loveable kid," Draco said.

Then he told Harry about everything that had happened with James and Harry realised that he needed to have a long talk with his eldest son. They had grown really distant of late. Harry hadn't seen James at all through the summer and ever since term had started, James had only written to him once. Clearly his son was troubled and Harry had been a negligent parent. It pained him to admit that, but it was true.

"So are you going to come watch the game tomorrow?" Draco said, referring to the Slytherin-Gryffindor quidditch match that was scheduled for the afternoon of the next day.

"I hadn't thought about it, what with everything else, but yeah, I'll come. It's Al's last game, after all. I'd love to be there to see it."

Conversation moved to other topics after that. There was a lot of friendly banter but that's all it was, friendly. Draco kept telling himself that he hadn't expected anything else but he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Though he was glad that he seemed to have hidden his feelings well. And he had. Harry didn't notice anything other than friendliness on the other man's part.

But he was not as completely oblivious as Draco thought he was. He had asked Draco out to dinner on impulse. He hadn't thought of it as a date. After all, he went out with his other friends often enough. He figured that this would be much the same. Even the choice of restaurant had been random, really. But Harry could see now that there was something very different about going out with Draco. It didn't feel like a boy's night out, the way it did with Ron or Neville or Seamus. It felt...intimate...the word surprised him, but he had to admit that it was the only one that fit.

As they sat across the table from each other at the restaurant, Harry noticed the way Draco's hair seemed to glow in the candlelight, the way his eyes seemed to shift and change from gray to gray blue to silver almost...they were half way through the meal when Harry noticed those eyes and he found himself mesmerised. It took him a whole minute to notice that he was staring. He shook himself wondering what had come over him. He had no idea.  _I can't_   _believe I never noticed how attractive he is_...he thought as he was caught by those eyes again. He lay awake a long time that night wondering why on earth he had been looking at another man and thinking such thoughts.


	27. Chapter 27

When Harry got home that night, Ginny was waiting for him. "Hi," he said as he stepped out of the floo. "Been waiting long?"

"About an hour. I called your office but you weren't there."

"I was at Hogwarts," he replied casually.

"Don't tell me you went to see the kids," Ginny said.

"Of course not! I was there to see Draco," Harry said as he kicked off his shoes and settled into the couch.

"Malfoy! What for?"

Harry decided that there was no need to be totally honest. Ginny had given up any right that she might have had, to know everything about his life.

"Work. I needed to get a couple of reports on the last case."

"Since when do you call him Draco?"

"Since we became friends."

"You're friends with Malfoy?" She sounded incredulous.

"Yes. He's a perfectly decent bloke."

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

"Well, it's true. He's also interesting and funny and we get along really well."

"But he's Malfoy!"

"A man that you haven't seen in twenty-four years. He's nothing like the prat he used to be at school."

"I don't know, Harry. It's your life and all that, but some people are just trouble."

"Like your good friend Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked.

Ginny had the grace to blush. "Okay. You got me there."

"Well, how was your evening?" Harry said, deciding that it was time to change the subject.

"Fine. It was good...Hermione wants to talk to you."

"Ron too, I'll bet."

"Yeah. Do you think we could make it to their house for lunch tomorrow? Hermione wanted to know."

"I can't, Gin. I'm going to Hogwarts for the Gryffindor-Slytherin match."

"That's tomorrow? How come none of the kids told me?"

"They probably assumed that you wouldn't be home. You could come with me, you know. I'm sure they'll be glad to see you."

"Hmmm...I think I will," Ginny said. "It's been a while since I was at Hogwarts. What about Ron and Hermione then?"

"We could make it to their place the day after tomorrow."

"Okay."

They got talking about more important things after that. The biggest thing on their minds was the holidays. How were they going to get through them? And when were they going to tell their children about the divorce? They decided that it would best if they stayed together for the holidays. Harry thought it would be a good idea to tell their children soon after they got home. Ginny was afraid that if they did that, they might end up ruining the holiday for all of them.

"Not if they see that that two of us are really okay with this. That we're actually happy about it," Harry said. "Besides, if we tell them at the end of the holidays, they won't have enough time to adjust and they'll have to go back to school with all this hanging on their heads." Ginny thought about it for a minute and then she nodded.

Then there were other things to discuss like the house and who would live where...They settled everything fairly amicably. It surprised Harry a bit, but then he realised that this was the way things had always been with them. There had never been any loud fights or screaming arguments. That sort of behaviour presupposes passion. What their marriage had suffered from had been a distinct lack of passion.

They slept in separate bedrooms that night. It didn't bother them as much as it should have. Harry wondered about that and then he realised that though they hadn't been aware of it, their marriage had been over for some time now and apparently there wasn't that much to mourn.

...

At about the same time that Draco was waiting for Harry in his rooms, the Gryffindor quidditch team finished their final practice before the match the next day and they were walking off the pitch just as the Slytherin team made their way in. Lily noticed Jeremy looking at her and she turned away. They hadn't spoken at all since their argument a few days ago.

She'd been doing everything to avoid him. She sat with him in potions because she had to, but she wouldn't talk to him at all and she'd even cancelled their study session the previous evening with no excuse other than that she was busy. Jeremy had fully intended to walk past her without saying anything, but he changed his mind at the last minute. He stepped in front of her as she tried to walk past.

"Can I have a word with you?" He said casually.

"Sure."

"Can we meet up after dinner tonight?"

"No." She seemed determined to say as little as possible.

"Why not?"

"I have to work on my match strategies. I am the captain."

"Then you shouldn't have cancelled our study session last night."

"I was busy."

"You're always busy. Is that what you plan to tell Professor Malfoy when we show up in February without a project?"

Lily huffed impatiently. She knew that she was being childish, but she couldn't help it. She was so angry with Jeremy. She really liked him and he'd rejected her after telling her that he liked her too, but that he didn't want to get involved with her because she was just too frivolous. She was. But not anymore. She hadn't so much as looked at anyone for a month now. That may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but for her, it was.

Because Lily Potter was a flirt and there was nothing she liked better than to have some guy fawning all over her. But lately she'd only had eyes for Jeremy. And clearly, he hadn't noticed that and he was judging her by her reputation.  _I'm fifteen. I've done a few stupid things, so what? I'm not going to go on doing them. It's so unfair,_ she thought _._ She realised that she was on the verge of tears. That was the last thing that she wanted Jeremy to see.

"Fine. I'll meet you in the library," she said and then she walked away as fast as she could.

She hadn't noticed that Albus had been right behind her and that he'd heard everything. He followed her into the castle, thinking as he went that it was time to have a little talk with his sister. She was going about this business with Jeremy all wrong. He decided that it would be best to give her a little time to collect herself, so he didn't say anything just then. He quietly followed her into the common room and then he went up to his dorm and took a much needed shower. Then he got dressed and went looking for his sister.

He found her in the common room, sitting on the ledge by the window looking glum and ignoring everyone. He went and perched next to her. She didn't bother to acknowledge him.

"Can I give you a bit of advice?" He said.

"What about?"

"About you and Jeremy."

"Huh! There is no me and Jeremy. He's not interested, so I have to get over him. It's simple, really."

"First of all, that's not true. He told you that he's interested."

"But he doesn't want to date me, so his interest doesn't count."

"He said that he doesn't want to date you because he doesn't want to get hurt. That means that he cares quite a bit. Lil, stop being childish for a minute and tell me, do you want this guy or not?"

Lily looked away. She didn't want to answer that question, but Albus wouldn't let go. He could be very determined when he wanted to be.

"Fine, yes. I want him. I like him...a lot."

"Good. At least you're ready to admit it. So, if you like him, why are you avoiding him and treating him badly? Do you want him to feel glad that he rejected you?"

"Of course not!"

"Then stop being childish and stop ignoring him. Show up for your study sessions and do your bit. That'll make him respect you, if nothing else. Right now, you're behaving like a sore loser and trust me, there is nothing attractive about that."

Lily looked abashed. She knew that her brother was right. "Fine. But all of that will only mean that we'll work peacefully together...then the project will be done and we won't have any reason to speak to each other again."

"If you are nice to him, despite everything he said, if you can be dignified about the whole thing, you will probably end up being friends...at least. So use the time that this project is giving you and let him see that you can be mature and sensible. The guy is already smitten with you. Let him see your good side. Let him know that you don't hold grudges, particularly because everything he said about you is true. He may have been a little harsh, but he was right."

That earned him a glare, but he wasn't about to back down. "You're a flirt, Lil. Face it. It's a fact. It is such a habit with you that you don't even notice that you're flirting sometimes. If you are really serious about this guy, then you have to become a lot more aware of your behaviour and the way you carry yourself. Stop flirting. Trust me, he'll notice."

"I've already stopped. I'm not interested in anyone else. And no, he hasn't noticed."

"He will. Give it time."

"Fine...okay."

"Good. Go meet him after dinner and be nice. Apologise for cancelling yesterday and do your work. I know it'll be difficult, but don't let your pride get in the way."

Lily sighed. She looked out of the window. She could see the Slytherin team on the pitch...they were training hard despite the fading light...She was silent for a while. She was thinking about everything that Albus had said. She knew that he was right. But could she really let go of her anger and her pride and actually be nice to Jeremy?

...

She was still wondering about that when she made her way to the library after dinner. She found a table and then she got out her books and parchments. She set them out and started reading through all the work that they had done so far. Then she went over to the book shelves and dug up a few books that she thought might be useful. She put them on the table and started going through them when Jeremy arrived. He was over ten minutes late. She was a bit irritated about that but she decided not to comment. She could almost hear Albus in her head telling her not to mess this up.

So she smiled and said "Hi." She found to her surprise that it made her feel lighter and a bit relieved even.

Jeremy was a bit taken aback but he managed to smile and return the greeting as he sat in the chair across the table from her. "I'm sorry I'm late. It took me a while to get rid of Violet," he said.

"It's okay," she said calmly, trying to hide her glee at his words. It also made it easier for her to make her own apology.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday. Something came up at the last minute and I couldn't make it," she said.

He was stunned now. An apology was the last thing he'd expected. "It's okay," he said.

"I've been going through what we've done so far," she said, indicating the parchments, "The theory is nearly finished. We only have the origins of veritserum and its different forms to cover now. I got these books that I thought might help. Take a look," she said and she handed him a couple of books. She took a couple of others for herself and got to work.

Jeremy had no idea how to react. Lily was actually being pleasant. It was strange considering how resolutely she had ignored him for the last few days and how short she'd been with him just a couple of hours ago. He watched her as she went through her book and took notes, feeling bewildered. Lily sensed his confusion and suppressed a smile.

"Is there a problem?" She said innocently.

"Um...no."

"Okay," she said coolly and got back to work. Jeremy stared at her for a couple of seconds. Then he shook himself and got to work as well. He kept glancing at her every now and then and he couldn't help but admire that perfect complexion, the pert little nose, those pretty blue eyes and that lovely hair, particularly when it fell across her face like that. He caught himself staring a few times and he tried to stop, but he simply couldn't keep his eyes from flitting over to her every now and then. He found himself hoping quite desperately, that she wouldn't notice.

Lily was of course, very aware of the fact that Jeremy was looking at her and she was inordinately pleased. She didn't want to embarrass him or make him stop, so she pretended not to notice and she continued to work in silence except when she had a question to ask or a clarification to make. Before either of them realised it, two hours were gone and most of the work was done.

"Do you think we can meet once more before the holidays?" Jeremy asked.

"Of course. Is Tuesday night okay with you?" Lily said as she packed her things.

"Yeah..."

Jeremy looked like he wanted to say something, so Lily waited and tried to look as encouraging as possible.

"I'm glad we're talking again," he said finally.

It made her very happy to hear that. "Me too...I'm sorry about the way I've been behaving," she said and then she swallowed her pride and extended her hand. "I hope we can be friends."

Both the apology and the offer of friendship were completely unexpected, so Jeremy couldn't hold back the smile that spread over his face just then. He realised that he was being very contrary, because he was the one who had rejected her in the first place, but he couldn't help himself. He was hopelessly smitten. So he took her hand and said, "I hope so too."

She realised then that Albus was right. Jeremy liked her too and if she really wanted him, she would have to grow up. She would have to be patient. Patience didn't come easily to her, but as she glanced at the boy in front of her, she thought that he was definitely worth it.


	28. Chapter 28

Albus woke up very early on Saturday morning. He was nervous and he couldn't sleep. He was always nervous on match days, but this was THE match. They were going to play Slytherin, the only team that had beaten them the previous year...beaten them soundly enough to take the cup. So it was a grudge match of sorts. And it was hopefully going to be his last match, so he wanted to catch that snitch and make sure that his team won.

He shifted restlessly in bed. He wished he'd listened to Scorpius and slept with him in the Ravenclaw dormitory, but he knew what he was like on the night before a match and he hadn't wanted to visit his restless tossing and turning on his boyfriend. Though it struck him now that if had been with Scorpius, he might not have been so restless. He turned around again and then he checked the time. It was six 'o' clock. _..too early to get up_ , he thought.

He snuggled under the covers and tried to sleep, but he couldn't, so he got himself out of bed, took a long, hot shower and got ready for the day. He dressed in warm clothes and got out of the silent dormitory and the deserted common room. He made his way down the stairs to the entrance hall, absorbing the silence as he went. It seemed as if the castle itself was asleep. He walked out of the front door and made for the lake. It was his favourite part of the grounds.

He was almost there when he saw Draco sitting on the grass and leaning against a tree with his legs stretched out in front him. He was staring intently at the lake. It seemed like he had something on his mind. Albus looked at his professor for a moment and then he decided that it might be best to leave the man to his thoughts. He turned to go and then Draco saw him and called him over.

"What are you doing out here so early, Albus?"

"I couldn't sleep, sir. I'm a little too wound up."

"Drop the 'sir', will you? We're not in a class room. It's almost as weird as hearing Scorpius say it."

"Sorry," Albus said, as he sat down and pulled his cloak a little tighter around himself.

"What's got you so wound up, then? Pre-match nerves?"

"Yeah. I get nervous before every match, but it is particularly bad this time. All I can think about is that I have to catch that snitch today."

"You will."

"Not with Stanley Wood standing in my way."

"Wood is an excellent seeker, I'll give you that, but somehow, I think you'll pull it off today."

"Really? I hope you're right. It'll make me feel less guilty about quitting the team if I can help them win this match."

"There is no need for you to feel guilty, Albus. You don't have to play if you don't want to. You don't owe it to anyone."

"I guess I'm just afraid that no one on the team will understand."

"It's always hard to go against expectations, but you should do it if that's what you really want. Trust me when I tell you that you will hate yourself if you don't."

Albus sighed. He knew that what Draco was saying was right, but that didn't stop him from worrying about his team mates and their reactions to his decision to quit, particularly his siblings. Things were already strained with James and quitting the team would only make their relationship worse and this time he wouldn't have Lily backing him, because she would be angry with him as well.

"Do you come here often?" Draco said after a while.

"Yeah. I love this place."

"It was your dad's favourite place as well. He used to sit here for hours staring at the water, tossing stones in and ignoring your Aunt Hermione's demands that he stop dreaming and do his homework."

"That's a nice image...they used to be really close in those days, huh?"

"You have no idea. You could never find one without the other two. We used to call them the golden trio."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We had a title for everyone, most of all your dad...the boy who lived, the golden boy, the boy who lived twice, the saviour..."

"Ugh...dad hates all those names, the saviour most of all."

"I know. Though I didn't then. I always thought he was an attention seeking prat."

"What about you? What was your title?"

"Do I have to tell you?"

"I'll just ask dad if you don't."

"Ugh...They used to call me the Ice Prince of Slytherin."

"Prince huh?" Albus said as he tried to suppress a smile.

"Now do you see why I'm embarrassed..."

"Why Ice Prince?"

"Prince, because I'm a Malfoy and in those days The Malfoys were the most powerful Slytherins and dark wizards around. And Slytherin house back then was all about power. And the Ice is a reference to the fact that as a Malfoy I was always supposed to wear a mask of indifference and never show any kind of emotion."

"Were you actually like that?"

"Cold, indifferent, superior, arrogant...yeah, I was all of those, except when it came to your dad. He could get under my skin in a way that no one else could."

"Is that still true?"

"Of course not! We got past that sort of thing a long time ago. In fact, I would say that we're friends now," Draco said, while thinking that  _yes, Harry still gets under my_   _skin in a way that no one else ever did..._

"I'm glad to hear that," Albus said.

"Hmmm..."

Draco sighed and stared at the lake. He was thinking about Harry. The previous night had made him realise the full extent of his feelings for the man. The feelings themselves weren't much of a surprise, but the sheer strength of them had left him reeling. It was obvious that Harry felt nothing more than friendship for him. Draco knew that he was setting himself up for a lot of pain, but he didn't know how to stop.

They sat in silence for a while staring at the frozen lake as the sunlight danced on the surface. It was a beautiful sight. It was also very quiet. The only sounds were the woosh of the wind and the trilling of the birds...When they finally went back to the castle for breakfast, Albus realised that the conversation and the silence of the morning had somehow calmed him. Draco, on the other hand, was still feeling unsettled.

...

The match was scheduled to start at three in the afternoon. And since the teams weren't allowed to practice, all they could do was sit around, wait and get nervous. Lily paced up and down the common room thinking and rethinking her strategies. She desperately wanted to win this match not just because it was against Slytherin, but because she had a point to prove. Many people had questioned Professor Longbottom when he had ignored the older, more experienced members of the team and picked Lily Potter as the captain at the beginning of the year. She had acquitted herself admirably in the game against Hufflepuff, but Slytherin was the real test.

Stanley Wood, the captain and seeker of the Slytherin team was a brilliant strategist and an excellent captain. He was in his seventh year and he'd been made captain just a year ago. He'd trained and led his team well enough to decimate Gryffindor and win the championship the previous year. He looked all set to do the same this year and Lily knew that she would have to get an extraordinary performance out of her team to beat him.

As far as talent goes, the teams were evenly matched. Stanley was the best seeker in the school and Lily was the best chaser. They were both brilliant at what they did and they tended to work particularly hard because they both hoped to play quidditch professionally, one day. Albus was not as good a seeker as Stanley, a fact that had him tying himself up in knots as three 'o' clock approached, but he was very good and he had beaten Stanley to the snitch a couple of times in the past. Gryffindor had the better keeper in Frank Longbottom and Slytherin had the better beaters in the Zabini twins.

The entire school was buzzing by lunch time. Scorpius was trying to get Albus to eat but he could barely get anything down. He'd fought his nerves successfully that morning but they came back in full force at lunch time when Lily decided to join him and Scorpius at the Ravenclaw table. She had barely sat down when she told him how important it was that he catch the snitch and then she started to list all of Stanley Wood's strategies.

Then she ran through all of her own strategies. Albus had heard it all before...He was wondering if he should tell her that giving him a head ache just before the match was hardly good strategy when Frank and Rose joined them. He was relieved when Lily turned her attention to Frank. She was obviously delighted to have another of her players to harangue.

Albus rested his head on Scorpius' shoulder and sighed. "I can't wait for this bloody match to be over," he whispered. "I don't know how much more of manic Lily, I can take."

"Well, if it is any consolation, the other team is suffering as much as you are," Scorpius said, indicating the Slytherin table.

Stanley Wood was sitting at one end of the table with his players around him and he seemed to be haranguing them with as much determination as Lily.

...

Harry and Ginny got to Hogwarts just a few minutes before the match was due to begin. They'd considered getting there a bit early and meeting their kids before the match, but then they'd decided against it, because they didn't want their kids to have the additional pressure of knowing that they would be playing in front of their parents. Most of the school was already seated when they got there. They made their way to the enclosure meant for teachers and parents.

Draco was sitting right at the back talking to Professor McGonagall. Harry spotted him when he was still some distance away and he was startled by the way his heart sped up at the sight of the other man and he found himself feeling unaccountably happy as made his way over. Draco saw Harry when he was just a few feet away. He was startled to see Ginny and he felt an irrational pang of jealousy at the sight of Harry and Ginny looking every bit the happy and perfect couple that everyone thought they were. He knew that they were neither happy nor perfect but that didn't help him any just then.

Harry picked that very moment to smile and Draco found himself struggling to breathe. Harry unhesitatingly made his way to the seat next to Draco. It was obvious that Ginny was less than pleased by this arrangement but the match was just about to start and she didn't want to make a fuss so she sat down next to her husband after shooting him a very meaning glare which Harry simply ignored.

He knew that his wife was irritated, but he couldn't bring himself to care.  _I am not going_   _to pander to her ridiculous prejudices,_  he thought as he turned to greet Draco. Ginny huffed in annoyance and turned away. Draco's first instinct was to ignore her, but then the Slytherin in him pointed out that this was a very good opportunity to smooth things out for Albus and Scorpius. If he could show Ginny that he was no longer the bastard that he had once been, she may be a little more inclined to be accepting of Scorpius.

So he greeted her with a very pleasant smile that she was clearly surprised to see. "Hello Ginevra. It is good to see you again. You're looking well," he said.

"Um...you too," she replied.

Harry understood what Draco was trying to do and he approved heartily, so he decided to help matters along.

"So Draco, how do you rate your team's chances against ours?" Harry said.

"It is very literally your team, Harry, full of Potters and Weasleys," Draco said with a smirk. "I really pity all the other kids in Gryffindor."

"Hey! Don't blame me. We're just an insanely talented family," Harry said.

Ginny found herself getting interested in the conversation, so she decided to butt in. "You didn't answer the question," she said. "How do you rate Slytherin's chances?" She was in full quidditch mode now.

"I think Slytherin has a very good chance of winning, but so does Gryffindor, if I have to be honest. Both teams are pretty evenly matched, but Gryffindor have an extraordinary player in your daughter. She is the best chaser the school has seen in a long time...Clearly, she takes after her mother," Draco said.

Ginny flushed with pleasure at those words. She took a fierce pride in her all children.

"The Slytherin chasers are good too, but Lily is simply extraordinary and she makes a fairly brilliant team with James and Louis," Draco continued.

"So where does Slytherin score?" Ginny said.

"Stanley Wood, our captain. He's known around the school as the best seeker since Harry Potter."

"Oliver's son?" Ginny said. Oliver Wood had been an highly respected opponent as well as a dear friend of hers for many years now.

"Yes. I was thrilled when he was sorted into Slytherin, let me tell you. I had very high expectations of him and he has surpassed them all. He's every inch Oliver Wood's son, just as smart, just as determined...only he wears green and silver," Draco said and he couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

"Pity..." Ginny said.

And then the crowd erupted. The players were making their way on to the pitch to the sound of enthusiastic applause. It was a moment full of nostalgia.

"Just imagine." Harry said, as he looked at the teams lined up on the pitch, "That used to be us."


	29. Chapter 29

The two teams flew into the air and lined up around the pitch. Lily and Stanley faced each other down...both grimly determined to win. They barely heard Madam Bell as she gave her instructions. The snitch was released and it hovered in the air, right in front of Stanley and then it was gone. Then the bludgers were released and the four beaters gripped their bats a bit tighter. Finally, the quaffle was released and the match began.

Lily took off in a flash and grabbed the quaffle. James and Louis stayed right behind her, just as they had planned and before anyone on the other team could react, Lily had put the quaffle through the hoop and scored the first points for Gryffindor.

"See, I wasn't exaggerating," Draco said as Lily scored twice in quick succession.

Five minutes into the match and the score was 30-0 to Gryffindor. Ginny was impressed. It had been a couple of years since she'd watched her daughter play and clearly she had missed a few things.

Albus and Stanley had taken up positions a bit higher up in the air than the rest of the players. They were flying around looking for the snitch and watching the action below them with interest (Albus) and concern (Stanley).The Slytherin captain had trained his players well and he trusted them to know what to do. So his initial reaction to this assault from Lily was to stay where he was and hope that his chasers would swing into action and even the score.

They were trying, but Frank stood like a wall in front of the hoops and refused to let anything through, while Lily continued her charge at the other end.

He was loath to abandon his position and leave Albus free to grab the snitch if it showed, but when the score became 50-0, he had no choice but to go yell at his players. It wasn't as if they weren't doing anything to stop Lily, but no matter what they tried, she seemed to slip away at the last moment and score. Josh Macmillan, the Slytherin keeper, looked utterly helpless in front of her. Lily was fast and she moved around a lot...Josh was simply unable anticipate her movements and he ended up letting the quaffle through every time. Stanley needed to speak to his keeper...

"I think she's trying to score enough points to make the catching of the snitch irrelevant," Draco said.

"I agree. It is an excellent strategy considering that the other team's seeker is better than hers," Ginny said.

"James and Louis are not even trying to score. They're just making sure that Lily can score freely. That is real team play," Harry said.

The Gyffindor end of the stadium was going crazy. All the clapping and cheering was getting on Stanley's nerves as he made his way down to his players, trying to figure out what to do and hoping desperately that the snitch wouldn't show. He'd had a clear strategy...each of his chasers would shadow one of the Gryffinor chasers, who usually tended to be spread out in a semicircle as they passed the quaffle from one to the other and tried to score. But it seemed that Lily had totally changed her strategy for this game. James and Louis were flying right behind her and making no attempt to score. She did all the scoring while they kept the Slytherin chasers away from her.

Stanley had to think fast because Lily had scored again and the score was now 60-0. If she was allowed to continue like this, it wouldn't matter a whit whether he caught the snitch or not. He flew down to his beaters. "Ignore everyone else. Aim for James Potter and Louis Weasley. Keep those bludgers flying at the two of them, so they can't focus on Lily Potter, got it?"

Then he flew down to meet his chasers. "I want you guys to stop trying to get to Lily Potter. The way they're playing now, that simply isn't possible. Claire and Carlo are going to be aiming for Potter and Weasley. You stick close to them as well. The moment they lose focus even a bit, you swoop in and grab the quaffle. Don't try to score on your own, Keep passing the quaffle back and forth. That way their beaters won't know who to aim for. Got that?" His players nodded and set off, while Stanley went to give his keeper a quick pep talk. That done, he got back to circling the pitch. All this strategising had taken a few minutes and luckily, the snitch hadn't shown in that time.

"That is the hardest thing about being the seeker and the captain," Harry said. "Talking to your players requires that you give up your position and risk missing the snitch. It's a real handicap."

"It is always best to have a captain who is a chaser," Ginny said. "You're right in the middle of the action...I wonder what Stanley's told his players," she said as the scoring started to slow down a bit.

It was now twenty minutes into the match and the score stayed at 60-0. The Zabini twins had taken their captain's words to heart. The pelted James and Louis with bludgers every chance they got...

James and Louis were under attack and they spent so much time diving and ducking and trying to get away that Lily was left unprotected and all three of the Slytherin chasers were able to swoop down on her and halt her assault on the scoreboard. And soon Slytherin started scoring as well. Forty minutes into the match and the score was 60-30 to Gryffindor.

"He's Oliver's son, alright," Ginny said as she watched the action. "That was very smart, using his beaters like that. Now the Gryffindor chaser formation is broken and unless their beaters swing into action, the scores will even out and it will all come down to the seekers."

An hour into the match and Lily was finding it harder and harder to score. Frank was under attack from Jeremy and Violet who kept coming at him from every direction. He made a lot of saves, but they ended up scoring every now and then. The scores started to even out. Gryffindor was still in the lead, but just barely. The scores stood at 80-60 when Lily decided that she had to do to do something...

She flew over to Fred and Liam. "I want you to focus on their keeper. Unsettle him any way you can. Go for their beaters every now and then and for Merlin's sake, get the pressure off James and Louis."

The momentum swung Gryffindor's way again after that and their score went up to 100 points while Slytherin stayed at 60. It was still a tiny difference that the snitch would completely wipe out. Both teams found themselves hoping that their seeker would deliver.

"I think it's going to come down to the seekers now," Harry said. "So I guess Slytherin's chances are better, then."

"Oh I wouldn't rule out Albus just yet," Draco said. "He may not be as good as Stanley, but he's really smart. Something tells me he's going to win this one for his team."

Ginny was honestly surprised to hear those words. Draco was the head of Slytherin house and it was only natural for him to want his team to win. In fact, the Draco of old would have been declaring loudly that Gryffindor stood no chance at all. But here he was, being all genlemanly and reasonable. She found it difficult to reconcile the image of Draco Malfoy that she'd had in her head since her school days with the man in front of her. Was Harry right? Had Malfoy really changed?

An hour and a half into the match and the scores were nearly level at 130-120. Gryffindor was still in the lead. The game had been intense so far and both teams had fought really hard for every point. They were exhausted. Albus and Stanley hadn't had much of a role to play in the game so far and they weren't particularly tired. But they were bored. There had been no sign of the snitch after the start of the game and squinting in every direction under the sharp winter sun was starting to take its toll. Twice Albus had thought that he'd spotted the snitch and taken off after it, only to find that he was mistaken.

The first time might have been a fluke, but when he did it the second time and Stanley went flying after him at a crazy speed only to have Albus shrug ruefully and fly away, he was convinced that Albus was doing it just to throw him off his game. Most of the crowd was convinced of this as well.

"I know it looks like that, but I find it hard to believe that Albus is doing it on purpose," Harry said.

"It's good strategy..." Ginny said.

"He's not doing it on purpose," Draco said. "Strategy or not, Albus isn't really capable of guile like that. And his disappointment seemed genuine both times."

Ginny was struck despite herself, by just how reasonable Draco sounded. Harry smiled at this defence of Albus and turned to look at the man beside him. Their eyes met, they held each other's gaze for a couple of moments and then they both turned away feeling strangely flushed and breathless. _What was that?_  Harry wondered. _Why am I reacting to_   _Draco like that?_ He pretended to watch the match as he tried to make sense of his behavior. Draco turned to look at Harry just then and he was surprised to see a slight flush on his cheeks.. _.Did Harry feel that too?_  He wondered.

Ginny had luckily been too absorbed in the game to notice any of this. The match went on for another hour and there was still no sign of the snitch. The players were really worn out and they slowly abandoned all semblance of strategy. The chasers were doing everything they could to score, the beaters kept aiming for any member of the opposing team that happened to catch their eye. The keepers were under intense pressure and it was here that Frank Longbottom showed his class. He had taken a real beating in the first hour of the match, but he barely let anything through in the second with the result that after the second hour the scores stood at 180-140 with Gryffindor in the lead.

And then Albus thought that he saw the snitch...again. It was at the Slytherin end of the pitch, hovering just a couple of feet behind their goal hoops. He was afraid that it might once again prove to have been no more than a trick of the light. He edged closer as he tried to make sure. He moved so casually the no one thought anything of it. Stanley was all the way over at the Gryffindor side of the pitch. Albus was still a significant distance away when he saw a distinct flutter of wings.

It was the snitch and considering where Stanley was at that moment, he had no chance of seeing it. Albus took a deep breath and continued to move casually towards the snitch. It was only when he was few feet away that he picked up speed. It was a moment before Stanley noticed and then he cursed and took off in the same direction. The rest of the players stopped what they were doing and watched the two seekers...the crowd went absolutely quiet as they held their breaths. Scorpius was stiff with tension...he crossed his fingers and hoped that Albus would somehow find his way to the snitch...and he did. He swooped down and caught it, with Stanley still several feet behind him. Having been at the other end of the pitch had cost Stanley dearly. He knew that Albus had just got lucky and that it hadn't anything to do with skill, but he couldn't help cursing as he made his way to the ground.

Albus was relieved...he held the snitch aloft as the descended to the ground looking utterly surprised. He'd done it...somehow and he couldn't quite believe it. The Gryffindor team exploded in cheers and applause as Madam Bell blew her whistle to signal the end of the match. They flew down to the ground and Albus found himself surrounded by his team mates. They hugged him, they thumped him on the back, they shook his hand and they celebrated their win and revelled in the applause of the crowd.

Scorpius felt as if a huge weight had been taken off his chest. He was sitting among the Gryffindors with Rose, everyone around him was jumping and clapping...and congratulating him for some reason...

"He did it...he actually did it! That was fantastic," Harry said as he applauded. He was very glad that Albus' final match had ended in a win.

"I knew he'd pull out something special today. It was really smart of him to keep his cool and not let anyone know that he'd spotted the snitch," Draco said, as he applauded heartily. He felt bad for his Slytherins and he felt a bit like a traitor for feeling so happy that their opponents had won, but he couldn't help himself. For him, this match had been all about Albus and he couldn't wait to meet him and tell him how proud he was.

Ginny was over the moon and she couldn't stop applauding. "That was a fantastic match and I'm not saying that just because Gryffindor won. This was as good as any professional match, if not better...the quality of play, the tactics, everything," she said.

The Slytherin team made their way to the ground much more sedately. Stanley was crushed. He felt responsible for the loss, though he knew that it was not his fault that he'd been all the way over at the other end of the pitch when the snitch had showed up. The rest of the team just felt miserable. It had been a gruelling match and they had played their hearts out. There really hadn't been much between the two teams until the end. It was awful to lose the match after fighting so hard to win it.

James had been standing a couple of feet away from the rest of the team watching his brother. Then he made a decision...he walked up to Albus and shook his hand. "That was excellent work, Al," he said.

"Thanks Jamie," Albus said and then he impulsively pulled his brother into a hug. James was surprised and more than a little relieved as he returned the hug. He may not understand or support everything that his brother did, but he loved him a lot and he hated fighting with him.

Lily practically jumped on her brothers and hugged them tight. She was so happy. They had won the match and it was a wonderful bonus to have her brothers make up as a result. She hated it when they were at odds with each other.

"Well that's a happy sight," Draco murmured as he and Harry exchanged a meaning glance. Ginny smiled at the sight as well, though she wasn't really aware of the significance of the moment.


	30. Chapter 30

It was a few hours after the match...all of Gryffindor was celebrating. It was the first time that Scorpius had been in the Gryffindor common room. He hadn't wanted to go, initially, but Albus had insisted, and Rose was going as well, so he had agreed. And he'd been pleasantly surprised at the way almost everyone had tried to make him feel welcome. James, Fred and Louis (the three musketeers, as he was starting to call them in his head) had made no attempt to talk to him, but they'd kept their distance and none of them seemed particularly hostile.

It was now an hour or so into the party and having spent all this time mingling, Albus felt justified in dragging his boyfriend off to a quiet corner of the crowded common room as everyone partied around them...They made their way to a couch in the corner and sat down with their arms about each other as Albus rested his head on Scorpius' shoulder.

"Well I'm glad that's over," Albus said.

"Me too. It was a fantastic match..."

"I know, but it was so tense out there. I thought Lily was going to have an aneurysm at one point."

"Wood didn't look any better. I must say, I felt sorry for the guy."

"I know...he looked so miserable after the match. But he was really gracious when Lily and I went up to talk to him. He called her the bane of his life."

"I bet Lily was pleased about that."

"Yeah..."

"I saw her with Jeremy later," Scorpius said. "It looks like they've patched things up. How did that happen? She told me just yesterday morning that she was never going to speak to him again."

"I had a little talk with her last night and I think I managed to knock some sense into her. Lily's a sweet heart, but she's can be really immature, sometimes."

"Well, I'm glad. Lily may be immature, but she's really spirited and very loyal. I think Jeremy would be lucky to have her."

"I'm not so sure about that. Lily can be quite a handful."

"Well, Jeremy needs someone like her...she'll challenge him."

"Let's hope it all works out then..."

They sat in silence for a while, thinking about the one thing that had been on their minds all this time...

"I nearly flipped when I saw mum come up to me after the game. I knew dad was going to be there, but I never expected to see her. I wish he'd warned me," Albus said.

"Maybe he didn't have the time to send you an owl."

"Perhaps. But knowing my dad, it probably never even struck him that he would need to warn me about something like that. I mean, I almost kissed you when you came up to me after the match..."

"But you didn't."

"Because you had the good sense to stop me."

"I don't see how it matters, though. You're going to tell your mother about us in a few days anyway. She would just have found out a little sooner. Besides, she seemed quite okay with it when you introduced me as your friend."

"Seemed, being the operative word here. She was thrown by it and she had no idea how to react, so she just made a bunch of polite noises. I'm sure she'll have a whole lot of things to say about our 'friendship' when I get home. After all, she's always had something nasty to say every time I mentioned your dad..."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I am going to tell her about us, but only after I get home." _When you won't be around to_   _hear anything that she might say,_ was left unsaid, but Scorpius heard it anyway.

"I'm not going to get hurt by anything your mother might say. You don't have to protect me, you know."

"Yeah. Like you don't get hurt every year when all of our friends are invited to The Burrow on Boxing day, except you, though you have been Rosie's best friend ever since we started school.

"Okay...that always hurts, but this is different."

"No it's not! And I don't think I can handle it if she says 'But he's a Malfoy!' the way Uncle Ron does, every time that Rosie talks about you. I don't know what she'll say, okay, and I just don't want you to be around when I tell her, that's all."

"Fine. Just stop worrying about it, alright. Besides, she was here to see you play and she seemed really proud of you..."

"I know. That part was good...It's been at least three years since she was here for a match."

"Does it bother you...that she's away all the time?"

"Um...no. I guess that's because it's always been that way. I don't expect her to be around, but I really miss my dad when he's not there. Mum and I are not close, not really. Maybe that's why I hesitate to share things with her."

"What about your brother and sister?"

"Lily is a lot closer to mum than Jamie or I, but I think that's more to do with the fact that she's a girl, than anything else. Jamie used to be close to dad too, but ever since he started school, his life has been all about me and Lily and his friends and I think dad has also just let him go a little bit, though I don't think he realised that he was doing it. I guess that's why Jamie holds on to us as tightly as he does."

"I'm glad you guys made up."

"Me too, but I'm afraid that the peace is temporary. He'll be mad at me again when I tell him that I want to quit the team and this time Lily will be right behind him."

"That's another thing you don't need to be thinking about, just now."

"Surprising how long that list is..."

"Did you see the way my dad was applauding when you caught that snitch? He looked so happy," Scorpius said.

"No I didn't, but I can picture it. He told me something before we came back here," Albus said.

"What did he say?"

"He told me that he's proud of me."

"I told you that he loves you and now that we're together, the adoption is complete. I'm sure he's already planning our wedding."

Albus chuckled. "Really? That is so sweet."

"Humph...obsessive is what it is. I wish he'd forget about us and think about himself sometimes."

"I know. He seems so lonely all the time. So does my dad, come to think of it."

...

Meantime, over at the other side of the castle, Harry and Draco were having a quiet dinner. Ginny had left a couple of hours ago. She'd been very surprised when Harry had told her that he intended to spend the evening with Draco...She'd opened her mouth to ask why or maybe to argue, but the look on Harry's face had stopped her. He was clearly not in the mood to hear anything that she might have to say and she had no desire to be reminded that where he went and what he did was none of her business. So she'd left without saying anything.

The two men were in Draco's rooms...they were sitting at the dining table sharing the excellent dinner that the house elves had provided and talking. They had already discussed the match thoroughly. They'd also spent a considerable amount of time discussing Ginny and her reaction to finding out that Albus and Scorpius were friends. She'd seen them hugging on the pitch right after the match and she'd been very surprised.

"How come no one tells me these things?" She'd said and Harry had been sorely tempted to point out that she would know these things if she would occasionally make an attempt to be a part of her children's lives instead of being so wrapped up in her own. But he had contented himself with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. She'd shut up grudgingly after that and then she'd smiled politely enough when Albus had introduced her to his 'friend'.

Now that they had run through all of these topics, the two men were at a bit of a loss. Conversation between them was usually very easy, but there was an odd tension between them now. Draco was very sure of his own feelings and while he'd been convinced of Harry's indifference that morning, everything that had happened during the match and after had forced him to question that assumption...

Harry was one of those people who are always very open about their feelings. He rarely made an attempt to hide them or to make a pretence of any kind. So he was pretty easy to read. The way he had smiled at Draco that afternoon had made it clear that he was very happy to see him. And then there was the way Harry had looked right into Draco's eyes a couple of times and hadn't been able to look away.

And then he'd chosen to stay after the match and spend the evening with Draco, though there hadn't been any reason to. And finally his behaviour over the last couple of hours, the way he kept glancing at Draco, his eyes flicking to his lips, almost unconsciously... Draco was a little hopeful now that Harry might return his feelings, but he wasn't sure and he had no idea what to do about it.

Harry had spent the last couple of hours trying to make sense of everything that he was feeling. He'd felt this rush of happiness the moment he'd seen Draco that afternoon, a heady feeling that had stayed with him all through. Then there had been that strange moment during the match when the sight of Draco looking at him so intently had nearly taken his breath away and made him blush in a way that he hadn't, in years if not decades. And then he'd made the decision to stay back after the match and spend the evening with Draco, because the thought of parting from him without spending any time alone had seemed so unpalatable.

He was acutely aware of Draco now as he sat just a couple of feet away from him, looking sinfully handsome with that gorgeous white-blond hair, that fair skin which he had always thought of as being too pale, but which somehow looked beautiful to him now...And those clothes which seemed to cling to him in all the right places.  _Oh my god! I'm_   _falling for him,_ Harry thought _. But he's a man._ Harry knew what he was feeling...it was attraction and desire. But he had trouble reconciling those feelings with everything that he thought he knew about himself.

He'd never, ever been attracted to a man before. _I like women_ , he thought, trying to hold on to that certainty. But then he asked himself how many women he had been attracted to, or had even looked at, in that way and he came up with nothing. He had no answer to give. Every once in a while, he and his friends would have what they liked to call a boys night out. And no matter where they went, Seamus and Ron would find one woman or the other to admire and ogle at. Neville would join them sometimes and while he would never say anything much, he certainly looked. But Harry had almost never been interested.

So the only conclusion that he could arrive at was that in all these years, he had never felt drawn to anyone, man or woman, except his wife until a few years ago. But suddenly he had all these feelings for Draco. It was starting to dawn on him that it had more to do with the fact that it was Draco, than that it was a man. He was falling for this person, this intelligent, charming, witty, handsome and surprisingly very kind man who had somehow walked into his life and turned it upside down.

_Is it possible that Draco is interested in me too?_ Harry wondered _._ He had no answer to that. Hermione used to tell him when they were younger that Harry was completely oblivious to other people's interest in him, to the point that he didn't even notice when someone flirted with him. He was still like that, completely and utterly naive when it came to matters of the heart. He was starting to understand his own feelings but he had no idea what Draco felt for him.

So far, he'd called it friendship and he'd left it at that. But now he started to think back over the last few days and to everything that Draco had said and done. He was surprised to notice just how much he remembered. And he came away from all that thinking with the conclusion that Draco just might be interested in him as well. Though he was a bit concerned that it could be wishful thinking on his part.

Busy as they both had been with all this thinking, they finished the meal in silence. Then Draco got out a bottle of wine and they settled into the arm chairs in front of the fire to drink and to talk some more. Neither of them was particularly aware of what they said or what they were talking about, even, but they talked anyway, because it seemed like the thing to do just then.

Two drinks later Draco decided to stop because he just might jump Harry if he didn't. _He looks adorable,_  he thought as he looked at Harry, who was sitting in the arm chair with his head resting on the back and his chin tilted upward to show that perfectly delectable neck and those strong shoulders to an advantage. His eyes were bright as he turned to look at Draco who was struck again by the sheer beauty of the man in front of him. He was sorely tempted to reach for him and to wrap in his arms...but he didn't know how Harry would react to that, so he stayed where he was and stared into the fire.

Harry glanced at Draco and wondered what it would be like to kiss him. He found his eyes drawn to Draco's lips as they had been several times that evening...he was still looking and wondering and trying to deal with that tight knot of tension in his stomach, when Draco turned his eyes on him and Harry looked away, trying hard to keep the colour off his cheeks and failing utterly. Draco noticed of course, he'd also noticed how long Harry had been staring at him...it intensified his desire to reach for the man, but he simply couldn't bring himself to act on it.

Harry glanced at his watch after a while and he was surprised to see how late it was. He decided to leave though he absolutely did not want to. So he finished his wine and got up.

"I should go," He said, without any preamble. The look on his face suggested that he didn't really want to leave but he felt like he had to.

It was then that Draco realised that he could not let Harry go without saying something. He considered being honest and simply admitting to his feelings, but he dismissed that thought fairly quickly because he knew that even if he did find the courage, he would never find the words. He watched helplessly as Harry walked up to the mantle and reached for the floo powder. And then he grabbed Harry by his wrist and turned him around so that they were face to face.

"Wait..." He said softly.

Harry looked at him expectantly.

"I...uh...there's something I need to tell you," Draco said, and before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned forward and kissed the man in front of him. It was a very soft, very chaste kiss...just a gentle press of lips, really. He stepped back after a few seconds and looked at Harry, waiting nervously for his reaction, suddenly unsure of what that might be.

Harry was stunned and he looked it. It took him a couple of seconds to process what had just happened. He was too surprised to know how to react. Then he noticed the look of worry and uncertainty appear on Draco's face and he realised that he simply could not let that happen. He could not let Draco think that he'd made a mistake, not about this. So he found his courage and stepped forward.

He put his arms around Draco's neck and then he pulled him close. And then he kissed him. It was still soft and chaste, but where the first kiss had been a question, this was the answer, so it was full of tenderness and desire and longing. They held on to each other and continued to kiss very gently...almost as if they were afraid that anything more would shatter the moment.


	31. Chapter 31

Draco had wanted this so much that he couldn't believe that it was actually happening. And it was every bit as fantastic as he'd thought it would be. A part of him was still worried that Harry might just pull away from him and say that it was all a big mistake...His heart was pounding when they finally let each other go. Harry looked every bit as stunned as he had after that first kiss and Draco's heart rate went up some more. He had no idea what he would do if Harry walked away from him now. He didn't think he could handle it.

Harry really was as stunned as he looked. He was completely blown away by that kiss. He couldn't get over how amazing it had felt. It had been a very gentle kiss and yet, it had left him tingling all over. His head was in a whirl and his heart felt like it was going to explode. There was so much that he wanted to say, but all he could manage was a whispered "Wow!"

Then he raised his hand to Draco's face and stroked his cheek and then he smiled. Both the touch and the smile stilled Draco's fears somewhat. So he smiled back, but his heart wouldn't stop thudding. Harry drew him into a hug and held him tight.

"Relax..." He said.

"So you really..."

"Yes...I want this too," Harry whispered.

"We should talk," Draco said.

"I know..."

"Are you afraid?"

"Terrified, actually."

"So am I, to be honest," Draco said and then he pulled away because he wanted to look Harry's face. "But I think I should tell you how I feel. I care about you Harry, I care about you a lot. I find you utterly gorgeous..." He paused here to admire the blush that spread over Harry's face in response. "And I want you very badly. I want us to be together...if you will have me, that is," he said, his insecurity surfacing again.

Harry had never ever expected to find himself in this situation at this time in his life...he'd never thought that he would be ending his marriage and finding himself drawn to someone else, a man at that. So he was a bit thrown by the situation. But he was in no doubt about his feelings for Draco. That was in fact, the only thing that he was sure of just then. So he took Draco's hands in his and he kissed them lightly.

"I want you in my life," he said simply. "I care about you too and that kiss...it was like a revelation. It felt so right..." He said and then he paused. He took a deep breath.

Draco felt his heart constrict. "But..." He prompted.

"It's just that everything in my life is a mess right now. Ginny and I are done, but we have to tell the kids about the divorce and I don't know how they're going to take it. Every single one of the Weasleys is still very upset about this and...It'll take a while for all of this to settle down and..."

"And what, Harry? Are you trying to say that you want to wait until things settle down a little before we get together?"  _Please say no..._

Harry sighed. Then he took a step forward and rested his head against Draco's shoulder. Draco put his arms around him and Harry was surprised at just how comforting that felt. "I don't know what I want," He said. "But I do know that the next few months are going to be difficult for me and if we get together now, you'll get drawn into it and I don't want to make you deal with any of my problems. The start of a relationship should be a happy time and here I am with all my baggage and...I can't help feeling that you deserve a lot better."

"Harry, I want you and I don't care about the baggage. Now come here," Draco said and then he led him to the couch. They sat down and then he took Harry's hand in his and kissed it lightly. "Honestly, you're over thinking this. You're going through a divorce...you have children and a family to deal with. Of course things are going to be messy and difficult. But that is no reason for us not to be together. You will not be 'making me' deal with anything. I want to deal with it. I want to be there for you..."

He turned and looked right into Harry's eyes. This was something that he needed him to understand. "I want to build something lasting with you, Harry and I can't do that if I'm going to be letting you deal with all your problems alone...I told you that I want to take care of you and I meant it. So just let me, will you? Besides, do you really think that I'll just let you go, when I know that you're going through a hard time?"

"No. I don't think you will," Harry said softly.

He was feeling a bit overwhelmed. He hated being on his own all the time. He had always wished he could have someone in his life that he could lean on, without having to feel guilty or obligated in any way. Draco was offering all that and more. He wanted to tell him how much he appreciated it, but he couldn't find the words. So he did the only thing he could. He reached for Draco and held him tight. "Thank you," He whispered.

"You don't have to thank me. My motives are not as pure as you think. Now that I've experienced what it is like to be with you, I don't think I can ever let you go...I think I should warn you, Harry that much as I have changed, I am still a Malfoy. And Malfoys are very possessive..." He lowered his voice just a bit as he said that and Harry felt a shiver go through him.

"I think I saw a flash of that this afternoon," he said with a smirk as he pulled away to look at Draco's face.

Draco coloured a little. "I was hoping you hadn't noticed that..."

"You were jealous of Ginny...Honestly, Draco, that is so stupid. You know that my marriage is over."

"But I didn't know how you felt about me. And...she was holding your hand."

Harry laughed out loud. "You were jealous because she was holding my hand...Do have any idea how cute that is?" He said.

"Malfoys are not cute!" Draco said indignantly.

"I don't know about the rest of them, but mine certainly is."

Draco opened his mouth to protest and shut it abruptly.  _Did Harry actually say mine?_

"I did...I called you mine. You are, aren't you?"

"Yes..." Draco said and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Good. Now come here," Harry said. He put his arms around Draco and pulled him close and then he kissed him. There was nothing gentle about that kiss and Harry soon found himself being pinned to the couch with Draco lying top of him. It felt like his entire body was on fire. He had never been more aware of anything in his life. Draco was completely blown away by the moment. And all they were doing was kissing...It was a while before they were able to stop. And when they did, they looked at each other and Draco saw his own desire mirrored in Harry's face as they held each other and tried to catch their breaths...Harry couldn't remember the last time that he had been so happy.

He wished that he could just stay with Draco and forget about everything else in his life for a while, but he knew that he didn't have that luxury. He glanced at his watch. It was past midnight. He really had to get home...But there was something else that he needed to talk to Draco about.

"Is it okay if we keep this quiet for a while?" He asked tentatively.

"Of course. You can't dump this on your kids on top of the divorce, Harry. I understand that..."

"Do you think Al and Scorpius will be fine with this? Won't it make it weird for them if we are together?"

"You know, I'm not sure about that. Other people might find it weird, but I think Albus and Scorpius will understand...better than anyone else, probably." Draco said softly.  _After_   _all, they know what's like to be in love._  "Besides _,_ it's not like they're related by blood, so I don't see how it matters."

"Hmmm..."

"It doesn't matter to you, so why do you think it'll matter to Albus?"

"Maybe you're right," Harry said and relaxed into Draco's arms. He realised that all he had to do was close his eyes and he would drift off into very comfortable sleep...He wanted to, but he knew that he shouldn't.

"I have to go," he said. "I'll come by tomorrow evening, if that's alright."

"I'll be waiting..." Draco said as Harry got up and made his way to the fire place. Draco walked up to stand right behind him and put his hands on Harry's shoulders. He just didn't want to let him go. Harry turned around and then they kissed again. He loved the way Draco felt against him... _I want him so much,_  he thought, feeling surprised at the extent of his desire for the other man.

He drew back a little and looked at Draco...staring openly. Draco blushed under the intense scrutiny of those brilliant green eyes.

"You are so beautiful," Harry said and Draco coloured some more...

Harry smiled and kissed Draco lightly on his lips. The thought of leaving made him feel strangely lonely. "I'll miss you," Harry whispered as he stepped away.

_I love you_ , Draco thought. But that wasn't something he could say just yet. "I'll miss you too..." He said. "Good night."

"Good night."

And then Harry was gone. Draco walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of wine. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he didn't try. He settled into the armchair and stared into the fire...He'd been fairly content in his life all these years, but he'd been very lonely. It was a life that had been full of accomplishment, but it had been a bit grey otherwise. And then Harry had walked into his life and made everything seem brighter and more colourful. Just being around Harry was enough to make him happy.

Draco thought about everything that had happened that evening and he realised that he had never felt as alive and as happy as he did now. Harry was everything that he needed and wanted...And by some miracle, Harry wanted him too. He knew that the next few months would be difficult. He knew that not many people would be accepting of their relationship when they were finally ready to tell them. But they would get through it somehow and a couple of years from now all this would be a distant memory...


	32. Chapter 32

It was Sunday morning...the day after the big match. Albus woke up to the sight of blond hair on his pillow and silver- gray eyes that seemed to be watching him intently. He smiled. Scorpius smiled back.

"Good morning, love," he said.

"Good morning. This is such a wonderful way to wake up," Albus said in a slightly sleep roughened voice as he snuggled up to Scorpius and rested his head on the blonds' chest. "What time is it?"

"Six thirty."

"How long have you been up?"

"About half an hour."

"Have you been watching me sleep?" Albus mumbled.

"Yes. You look very peaceful and you had the nicest little smile on your face."

"Really?"

"Yeah...Do you want to sleep some more?" Scorpius said, as he gently ran his fingers through the messy black hair splayed across his chest.

"I will, if you keep doing that," Albus said, as he leaned into the touch. "But I want to get up. We should get an early start."

"Any reason in particular?"

"You're fishing for information, aren't you?"

"Obviously."

"Well, you're not getting any. I just want us to get up before everyone else does. I hate it when the showers get crowded."

"And I have no desire to be seen by anyone in your dorm, if I can help it."

"I told you it doesn't matter. None of them will care that you spent the night here. You saw how friendly they all were last night."

"Yeah, you're right. I still don't want anyone to see me though."

"Fine...let's go," Albus said and then he crawled sleepily out of bed. Scorpius had to grab him to keep him falling.

"Are you sure you're awake?" He whispered.

"Yes...I'm a bit groggy, but I'll wake up once I get under that shower," he said and then he stumbled into the bathroom.

Scorpius smiled as he followed. Albus was rather an adorable sight first thing in the morning, when he was all soft and fuzzy and tousled. A bit like a teddy bear...

They washed and showered and got dressed. And they managed to leave the dorm before anyone else woke up. They had an early breakfast in the kitchens and then they set off on a leisurely walk to the village. It was a beautiful morning. It had snowed the previous night, so the world was a vision in white.

"I love this weather," Scorpius said as he inhaled deeply. "Winter is my favourite season."

"Isn't it a bit dull though? Everything is the same colour," Albus said as he waved his hand vaguely around him.

"It's not dull. It is stark and there's just something about snow and ice that I love. Sure there's a lot of white, but it's beautiful."

"I would've thought that as an artist you would prefer a more vibrant, more colourful scene."

"I do. I love colours. But nothing beats a stark, snow covered scene when it comes to a study of form. And while everything is the same colour, it isn't any old colour. It is white and white is the most interesting colour of them all. You can do so much with it...you can create so many shades and variations of white and off white and grey and..."

"I get what you're saying, and I'll admit that grey is my new favourite colour." Albus said with a smirk. "But I can't love winter. I don't hate it, but I prefer summer. I'm never really happy unless I'm warm."

"And that is your character summed up in one sentence." Scorpius said and then he put his hand around Albus' waist and pulled him into a quick kiss. "I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to do that."

"I know. I'm glad it's a not a big secret anymore."

"So what are we doing today?" Scorpius asked.

"Actually, nothing much. I just wanted us to have a lazy day of being together. So right now we're just walking around and enjoying the village before it gets crowded."

And that is what they did. It was so good to get away from school and routine and just walk around the beautiful village talking about everything and nothing. They got talking about their childhood after a while and Scorpius told Albus about his nana and the beautiful house they had in France and all the years that they had spent at Beaubaxtons. Scorpius had never talked about any of this before and Albus was quite fascinated.

"I used to love Beaubaxtons. It's a great school and the whole place is so beautiful. It's high up in the French Alps and it is a bit isolated, like Hogwarts, but there's a lovely little town about twenty miles away that dad used to take me to every weekend. It was half muggle and it had the most amazing restaurants and then there was the theatre and the churches and the museums and of course, the markets...I really love England, but there are some things that the French just do a lot better."

"I know what you mean. I've spent a few summers in France, mostly in Paris. It is a beautiful city but I like the countryside better. My Aunt Fleur just loves to show us around the country every time we visit. In fact, I think she would have us over every year if Grandma would allow it...Do you miss living there?" Albus asked.

"Sometimes. You know I when I was a kid I believed that I would live in France all my life. I never expected to end up in England or at Hogwarts."

"How come?"

"Well, I'd never been to England and while my dad would talk about his life here every now and then, it was clear that he never expected to come back."

"But surely you knew that you would have a place at Hogwarts. Everyone in your family has studied here."

"I was aware of that, but we'd cut all ties with England and Dad had been teaching at Beaubaxtons for over a decade, so I think I just figured that I would study there. Besides, neither dad nor nana had ever said anything to suggest that I might have a place at Hogwarts. So it was a real surprise when I got my letter...Dad was stunned. I think he'd been half afraid that the letter wouldn't come. He was so happy and proud when he saw the green lettering and the Hogwarts seal. He held the letter in his hands and looked at it in awe...I don't think I realised until then how much this place meant to him."

"Hmmm...I grew up hearing about this place all the time. Everyone in my family seemed to have only good things to say and to remember about Hogwarts. After a while it took on a near mystical quality in my head, you know, like it couldn't be real. I was so nervous the first time that I got on the train. I was sure that I wouldn't fit in and that Hogwarts couldn't possibly live up to the image of it that I had built up in my head...And then I saw it, sitting on the boat and it was so much better than I thought it would be," Albus said.

"I know what you mean. This place practically throbs with magic and you feel it the moment you see the castle..." Scorpius said.

They walked in silence for a while after that, lost in memory and thought. It was about ten in the morning and the village was slowly coming to life. The shops were opening one after the other and there were more people in the streets. They walked by The Three Broomsticks which seemed to doing good business. There were sounds of people talking and laughing...It felt a bit like they were looking at a tableau...looking at the scene but not really part of it.

Albus had been thinking about everything that Scorpius had told him and he wanted to know more.

"So when did your dad get offered the job here?"

"It was about a year after we moved to England...the summer after my first year. Dad had quit his job and spent the year working on the manor and getting all his money and his accounts in order. He was planning to open an apothecary, actually. And then one day in the middle of the summer, he got a letter from Professor McGonagall. I think he read it over ten times before he was ready to believe it. And then he wrote back to her saying, Are you serious?"

"She wrote back a terse reply telling to stop wasting time and just accept the position already. She said she had no idea why he appeared to be so shocked at being offered a job at Hogwarts. I took a real liking to her the moment I read that letter."

"I know. She is such a no nonsense sort of person." Albus said.

"Yeah. Her words really made an impact on dad. He never expected anyone in England to treat him as anything but a death eater, particularly after all the trouble that he and nana had after the war...I've never seen him as emotional as he was that day. We talked for hours. He told me that he'd always wanted to give back to Hogwarts in some way and try to make amends for some of the stupid things that he'd done and that he'd never thought that he'd actually get a chance to do that..."

They were at the outskirts of the village now. The houses and shops were all behind them and they were at the edge of the woods. Scorpius began to think that their seemingly random walk hadn't been all that random. "Why do I get the feeling that I've been led here?" He said.

"That is because you have," Albus said and then he led Scorpius through the trees until they came to a clearing.

Scorpius gasped in surprise as he looked around him. They were in a clearing in the woods...they were still surrounded by tall trees, but there was an opening big enough to let a good deal of sunlight in. The trees as well as the ground were covered in a light dusting of snow and it was cosy and beautiful and wonderfully quiet, even though it was filled tiny noises typical of the woods.

"This is beautiful," Scorpius said. "How did you know about this place?"

"I found it by accident a couple of years ago when I was trying to get away from a girl that my brother set me up with. It was summer then, around mid afternoon when I stumbled across this place. I remember sitting under the trees and reading for hours. It was fantastic...I've never told anyone about it and when I was trying to make plans for our date, I thought that this would be the perfect spot for a picnic." Albus said.

"A picnic in December...sounds absolutely delightful."

"Good. I was hoping you'd like the idea. I didn't want to take you to a restaurant where half the school would be staring at us. I wanted peace and quiet and I wanted to have you all to myself," Albus said softly and then he drew Scorpius to him and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too and...thank you." Scorpius said. "This is just perfect."

Albus was practically glowing. He'd really been looking forward to this and he'd wanted to make sure that everything would be perfect. It was their first date...and it had to memorable.

"Well, let's make things a little more comfortable, shall we?" Albus said when they finally moved apart. He got his wand out and vanished the snow off the ground. Then he pulled a small beaded bag out of his pocket. He reached in and drew out a few thick blankets.

"That is a seriously powerful extendable charm," Scorpius said as he took the blankets and proceeded to spread them on the ground. "Where did you get that little bag?"

"Rosie lent it to me. It was her mother's," Albus said as he went over to help. Then he pulled out a large picnic basket and set it on the ground.

"Now I know why you insisted that you would wait in the kitchens when I went over to my dorm to change..." Scorpius said.

Albus smiled and then he put that little bag in his pocket and walked around the clearing putting up a few enchantments so that no one would be able to see or hear them, even if they did come into the woods, which was highly unlikely. Scorpius watched him for a minute and then he walked around the clearing gathering branches and leaves. He made a big pile of them and then he started a fire...Albus was still walking around the clearing, murmuring incantations as he went.

Scorpius sat down on the blanket and watched his boyfriend. Albus joined him after a couple of minutes.

"This is surreal," Scorpius said.

"I know..."

Being in that isolated clearing was like stepping out of the world for a bit. They had a few enchanted hours where nothing existed other than the two of them. There was nothing to trouble them, nothing expected of them other than that they be in the moment, be together and that they create a few enchanted memories that they would treasure all through their lives. And that is what they did. They lay down on the blankets, holding hands and looking up at the grey sky. They talked for hours. They made love under the open sky and found it to be primal and wonderful in ways that they had not expected. That whole day felt like a promise...of the life to come. This was clearly just the beginning.


	33. Chapter 33

At around the time that Albus was showing Scorpius his little nook in the woods, Frank and Rose were walking to Hogsmeade. They had been dating for over three months now and they had grown really comfortable each other. So there was no reason on earth for Frank to be nervous, but he was. This was not just any date. It was  _the_  date. He'd finally decided to tell Rose that he was in love with her and he was terrified. He had no idea how she felt about him. She was a reserved sort of a person and while she was affectionate, she had never said anything that suggested that she might be in love with him too.

_And why would she love me?_  He wondered.  _She's so smart and so brilliant at everything she_   _does. She knows everything...she even plays music_.  _All I can do is play quidditch. I can_   _barely match her in conversation sometimes. And she's so beautiful,_ he thought as he glanced over at her _. I don't know what she sees in me, to be honest._  He was so lost in all this thinking and worrying that he barely said a word as they walked.

"Something wrong?" Rose said.

"Nothing, love," he said and then he smiled and put his arm around her waist and kissed her lightly on her cheek.

Rose felt her heart melt a little, the way it did every time that Frank touched her. She'd known for a while that she was in love with him, but she hadn't been able to tell him yet and it was getting harder and harder to keep it to herself. She looked up at him now and she had difficulty believing that Frank had picked her to be with. She was very smart, but she was also very bookish and serious while Frank was fun in every sense of the word and he was one of the most popular guys in school.

_And he's so good looking,_  she thought,  _with his golden blond hair and his bright blue eyes which always seem to be dancing with mischief._ And he always seemed to have a smile on his face. Frank was one of the most easy-going people she had ever met and he was one of those very rare people who seem to have the ability to be happy all the time. She really admired that about him.

But he wasn't happy now. He was trying to hide it, but it was clear that he was tense and worried about something.  _What could it be?_  She wondered.  _Does it have_   _anything to do with me? Is that why he's not telling me anything? Does he want to break up with me?_  She felt her heart clench painfully at the thought.  _No, that can't be it. We're so happy_   _together_. And then she remembered that Frank had had four girlfriends before her and none of those relationships had lasted more than a few months. Frank was a bit of a player and that was why she'd been so reluctant to go out with him. But he had convinced her that he was serious about her. Even Scorpius had been sure that Frank really cared about her. In fact he'd told her just the other day that he was sure that Frank was in love with her too. She wanted to believe that, but...

They continued to walk toward the village in that strange silence. They were at the outskirts of Hogsmeade when Rose decided that she'd had enough. She was a fairly straight forward person and she had no taste for drama. Whatever it was that Frank had on his mind, he was going to tell her now. So she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him off the road until they were standing behind a tree. She had no desire to be seen by anyone just then.

"What is it Frank?" She said.

"Nothing...I'm just a little thoughtful. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just tell me what it is. And don't you dare use the word nothing again. Something's bothering you and I want to know what it is. Now spill."

Frank would have preferred a more romantic setting for his big confession, but Rose had that glint in her eye that made it clear that she would not be denied. So he took a deep breath and just said the words. "I love you, Rosie."

That was the last thing that she was expecting to hear just then. Her heart started thudding and her mouth was suddenly very dry. "What did you say?" She was sure she hadn't heard him right.

"I said I love you," he said and she was stunned. _He actually looks unsure of my reaction_.  _So this is what_   _he's been worrying about,_ she thought.

"You're such an idiot," she said fondly and then she put her arms around him and kissed him. She was surprisingly passionate, considering how reserved she was in every other area of her life. Frank had seen this side of her several times now, but she was still able to take his breath away. He'd been hoping that she would react like this, but it was overwhelming to actually have it happen. He knew exactly what she was trying to tell him and he couldn't believe his luck, but he needed to hear the words. So he pulled away and just looked at her.

"I love you too," she said and they kissed again.

...

Lily was one of the few people who had chosen not to go to Hogsmeade that Sunday. She had no desire to be surrounded by happy couples and feel even more alone than she already did. So she slept in, woke up late and stumbled into the common room at around eleven 'o' clock in the morning. It was deserted except for Louis. He was sitting on the ledge, and looking out of the window. It was obvious that he had something on his mind.

She joined him on the ledge as he shifted to make room for her. "What's up Lou?" She said.

"Nothing."

"That's not going to work on me, darling, I'm not stupid."

"Fine. I've got something on my mind, but I'm not going to tell you."

"And why not?"

"Because I can't. It's too personal."

"Are you mooning after Clara again? I told you that girl's not worth it."

"It's not about Clara..." He said, wondering if he should tell her the truth. It would be such a relief to tell someone. But he decided that Lily was not the right someone. So he went with a partial truth instead. "It's just that it is so hard to be alone at his time of the year. I hate the sight of all those happy couples and...If I see another sprig of mistletoe, I think I'll explode. It's everywhere. It's almost as if they put it up just to mock all of us single folk. I know I'm being petty, but I can't help it. And the crazy thing is that I don't even want Clara back. But I don't want to be alone."

She shuffled a bit closer, he put his arm around her and then she rested her head on his shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel," she said.

"Things not going well with Nott?" He said.

"How do you know about that? Did Al tell you?"

"He didn't have to. I've seen the way you look at him."

Lily sighed. "I've never seen you so taken with anyone before. This guy must be pretty special," Louis said.

"He is. He's perfect."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Me. He thinks I'm too frivolous."

"You are...a bit."

"I know...But I'm actually serious about this guy, Lou."

"Then go after him."

"What about you? Are you pining after someone too?"

_You have no idea,_  Louis thought, as he felt his heart clench a little.  _I'm not just pining, I'm desperate, but I have no idea what to do. I've messed it up completely and I have no idea how to fix it._ But he couldn't tell Lily that, so he just shook his head.

...

Frank and Rose were doing a bit of Christmas shopping, at least Rose was. She went from store to store as she tried to find gifts for her family. Frank was more than happy to help.

"I can't believe you're already done with your shopping," she said as she wandered through the bookstore, trying to find something for Scorpius.

"I don't have that many people to buy gifts for, love. There's just mum and dad and gran and then there's you, Al, Liam and Lily. That's it."

"While I probably have the largest family in wizarding Britain."

"A fact that you should be proud of," he said.

"I am, but it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes," she said as she finally found what she was looking for and she made her way to the counter to pay for it.

"Are you going to tell me at least now where you're taking me for lunch?" She said as they stepped out of the store.

"I told you that it's a surprise," Frank said as he got this wand out and shrunk all their packages so that they could carry them in their pockets.

"So are you done shopping?" He asked.

"I'm not. But I've had enough. There's only so much shopping I can handle in one day," she said.

"And that is one of the many things that I love about you," he said as he kissed her on the cheek. He would've liked to do more than that, but they were in the middle on the street and he knew that Rose wouldn't let him.

"Let's go get some lunch then," Frank said as he took her hand and led her down the street. A few minutes later, they were walking into Suzette, the new French restaurant in Hogsmeade. Rose had heard about it, of course, but she'd never actually expected to find herself there, considering how expensive it was supposed to be. It was a charming little restaurant. It was cosy and quiet and the food was delicious. They settled into a quiet corner and spent a couple of hours talking about everything and nothing, the way all young lovers are wont to do.

"Thank you," Rose said, when they finally left the restaurant.

"I wanted to make it special...something that you would remember forever," Frank said.

"It is...and I will," she said and then she put her arm through his as they walked down the road. "I had no idea that you were so romantic, Frank."

"I'm not. You bring out this whole side of me that I didn't know I had...I love you."

"I love you too. It feels so good to be able to say that."

"I know. I thought I was going to burst if I didn't tell you soon."

"Why were you so nervous anyway?"

"Because I was afraid that you might not be in love with me."

"Idiot!" She said again.

They walked down the street hand in hand, as they looked around them, stopping ebery now and then to admire the shop displays. Hogsmeade was a real treat at this time of the year. The village seemed to be full of couples and every one looked so alive and happy that it felt a bit like they were looking at a picture post card. Rose had more shopping to do, but she couldn't bring herself to care about it just then. They walked around some more and then they decided to get back to the school. It was time to find a cosy little corner and celebrate.

...

Lily and Louis walked into the great hall for a late lunch and found that it was a bit deserted. There were a few first and second year students and a couple of teachers and only ten students from among the seniors. Lily and Louis were the only Gryffindors, while Jeremy and Stanley were the only Slytherins. Jeremy smiled as soon as he saw Lily walk in. She felt her heart soar in response. She smiled back at him feeling a little shy for some reason.

"Why don't you go join him?" Louis suggested.

"What? I can't go eat at the Slytherin table."

"Why not?"

"Won't it seem a liitle too forward of me?"

"I'd say yes, if the entire school were here, but they're not...Just go, Lil. Stop over thinking it."

Lily hesitated some more until Jeremy looked at her again...this time he stared. It was obvious that he couldn't take his eyes off her. And that was all the encouragement she needed. She walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down beside Jeremy like it was something she did every day. Jeremy found himself admiring her confidence once again. It was one of those things that really drew him to her, _aside from that beautiful face and_   _that fantastic figure,_ he thought, as he watched her walk across the room to join him.

Stanley Wood was sitting just a couple of feet away, but he didn't notice anything. He was too busy wallowing. He glared at his steak as though it done him some personal harm and then he proceeded to cut it into tiny little pieces. Lily glanced at him and decided that he was still upset about losing the match the previous day. She was right, but only in part. Stanley looked up when he felt someone's eyes on him and he looked right at Louis.

He tried to glare. After all, he had every right to be angry with Louis, but he couldn't. He stared at him for another moment, wondering why Louis was staring at him, why he'd been staring at him all week, in fact. It made no sense, considering that Louis had spent the past few months ignoring him completely. Stanley thought that he saw a flicker of guilt and pain on Louis' face, but he dismissed it immediately. Why would Louis feel guilty after all this time?

Louis was in agony as he sat all the way across the room from Stanley and caught the look of pain that crossed his face. He knew that he'd been selfish and stupid and cowardly. He'd hurt Stanley very badly and he hadn't even bothered to apologise. He'd been too busy trying to convince himself that he'd done the right thing. He knew better now and he wanted to apologise and make up for what he'd done, but he didn't have the courage to actually go over and speak to Stanley and he was afraid that even if he did find the courage, it might be too little too late...


	34. Chapter 34

Harry woke up late on Sunday morning. He smiled as memories of the previous night floated through his head. He couldn't wait to see Draco again. But he had a whole day, full of obligations to get through before that could happen. He turned on his back and stretched and he smiled some more. He found himself going over everything that Draco had said, every look, every smile and every touch and he felt a wave of longing wash over him. He thought about the day ahead of him and he sighed.

He and Ginny were supposed to be going over to Ron and Hermione's place for lunch. This was something that he usually looked forward to, but he knew that today would not be fun. All they would talk about was the divorce. Hermione would have questions and Ron would do everything he could to try and talk him and Ginny into staying together. Harry felt tired just thinking about it. He understood that his friends were concerned about him and that they were trying to look out for him. He appreciated that, but he was just so tired of explaining himself all the time.

He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly eleven 'o' clock. _If only I could stay in_   _bed all day,_  he thought as he made his way downstairs. He walked into the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee and he realised that Ginny was not at home. Not that there was anything unusual about that. He sat at the kitchen table as he waited for the coffee to brew. He was trying to rub the sleep out of eyes when he heard the floo. It was Hermione.

"Harry, I thought you guys were coming over to lunch today," she said.

"We are. Only I have no idea where Ginny is," Harry said and then he yawned.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Harry, it's eleven 'o' clock."

"I know. It was rather late when I got into bed last night. Look, I'll just take a shower and get dressed and then I'll come over."

"What about Ginny?"

"She'll join us...I suppose."

"Where do you think she's gone?"

"How would I know?" Harry said with a shrug.

Hermione was struck by how completely unconcerned Harry sounded. It was almost as if he really didn't care where Ginny went and what she did. Add that to the fact that Ginny had apparently gone somewhere without bothering to inform Harry or leave him a note, even and the fact that they both seemed to think that there was nothing unusual about that and it was terribly obvious that their relationship was long over. _Why didn't I see it_   _before?_  She wondered.

"I hope she can make it, though. It's been a long time since we've all been together."

"Yeah," Harry said, trying to hide his lack of enthusiasm. Hermione noticed and she was a bit hurt, but then she thought that Harry was perhaps justified, considering the circumstances. It was not as if they were meeting to have fun.

"I'll see you then," she said and then she was gone.

Harry went back into the kitchen and had his coffee. He'd just finished when he heard the floo again. It was Ginny this time.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I'm going to have to bail on lunch," she said, as soon as she walked in.

_So what else is new?_ "Why?" He said aloud.

"I got an owl this morning and I had to go to my office for a meeting. I have to leave for Canada today."

"When will you be back?"

"Friday."

"Friday? So you're actually going to get back on Al's birthday. What happened to the party that we were supposed be planning?"

"I'm really sorry. But I have to go. I'll make sure that I get here on Friday morning, okay."

"So I get to plan Al's seventeenth birthday on my own. Just like I did for Jamie," Harry said as he remembered the huge fight that he had had with Ginny on that occasion.

"I wish I didn't have to do this, Harry. I wish I didn't have to go. But it's a big assignment and I can't refuse."

_Isn't it always?_  Harry thought _._ "Fine. I'll make your apologies to Ron and Hermione," he said as he walked out of the kitchen without bothering to hear her reply.

He was furious. Ginny was always doing something like this. It made him feel like such a fool sometimes.  _I'm glad I finally_   _made the decision to get out of this marriage,_  he thought as he climbed the stairs to his bedroom.  _I cannot live like this anymore. For years, I've been expecting things and getting disappointed. At least now I know that I'm allowed to expect anything anymore. Ginny will do what she wants to do..._

Ginny was not thrilled about having to leave, but her job was very important to her. It was the source of her identity, her independence and very often, her joy. She was realising only now that she had perhaps never been cut out for family life. She loved her children, but her desire for independence was just too strong and while her son's seventeenth birthday was important to her, she wasn't about to turn down an assignment just so she could be around to make preparations for his party. It was not like she was going to miss his actual birthday. Besides, Harry was already on leave so he would be able to make all the preparations that were needed. She really didn't see why he was angry with her.  _I'm glad I won't have to deal with this for much longer,_ she thought as she made her way up the stairs as well.

...

When Harry stepped out of the floo and into Ron and Hermione's house, Ron was waiting for him. He greeted Harry with a handshake and a hug, the way he always did, but there was a stiffness about him now. Harry noticed it, but he chose not to comment.

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked.

"She's packing...getting ready to leave for Canada."

"So she's not..."

"I'm sorry, Ron, but she can't make it. She doesn't have the time," Harry said and he made no attempt to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"When is she going to be back?"

"On Friday."

"Oh! So she won't be here when the kids come home," Ron said.

"No she won't. And it wouldn't be the first time," Harry said.

Ron had no idea how to respond to that. So he mumbled something about Hermione waiting for them and then he led the way into the kitchen.

Harry followed Ron into the kitchen where Hermione was setting the table. They exchanged the usual pleasantries and the news about their children and then they sat down to eat. They continued to talk about inconsequential things as they had their meal. Ron and Hermione seemed to have agreed not to bring up the divorce until the meal was over. Harry figured that it was probably Hermione's doing and he was really grateful. He was still a bit angry from his conversation with Ginny that morning.

They finished their meal and then they moved into the living room. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other as if they were trying to decide who should broach the subject. Harry sighed. "It is okay guys. I know what you want to talk about. We might as well get over with."

"Why do you want to do this Harry? I just don't understand," Ron said. "You've been married for twenty years. Why do you want to give that up?" The questions practically burst out of him, like he'd been holding them in for a little too long.

"Because I'm not happy, Ron and neither is Ginny."

"Ginny does not know what is good for her."

"Yes she does. And a divorce would be good for us both. At least this way we'll stop expecting things from each other and fighting and arguing all the time."

Hermione knew that this discussion was a waste of time. Harry and Ginny had made the decision to get a divorce and nothing and no one would make them change their minds now. She had been very surprised when Ginny had first told her, but after talking to her and observing the two of them, she was starting to see that it was perhaps the right decision for them. So she didn't say anything. But she knew her husband well enough to understand that it would take him a while to wrap his head around this. He needed to talk to Harry. She wished Ginny could have been here as well, but there was nothing she could do about that.

"But Harry every couple fights. Everyone has disagreements. You cannot end a marriage because of that," Ron said.

"Don't you think I know that Ron? How do you think we ended up being married for twenty years if we weren't trying to make it work? We tried and tried...and then we gave up. We've spent the last few years ignoring the problem and pretending that it doesn't exist. We can't do that anymore. And we shouldn't have to."

"But why now, Harry? Is it because there's someone else?"

That question was so unexpected that Harry was caught a bit off guard. But he rallied.  _There is someone else, but Draco hadn't been in the picture at the time that Ginny and I made the decision to get a divorce, so it doesn't count,_  Harry thought. He was bit irritated with Ron for asking that question so he didn't offer a direct reply.

"Have you asked Ginny that question as well?" Harry said coolly.

Ron coloured in a way that made his answer obvious. "What are you implying, Ron?" Harry said as calmly as he could. "Are you suggesting that I've been cheating on your sister and that I am now preparing to abandon her?"

"Harry, that is not..." Ron began.

"That is not what you meant? Really? You make it seem as though it is easier for you to think of me as a selfish bastard who's been cheating on his wife than to accept the fact that Ginny and I are incompatible and really unhappy together."

"That's the part I don't understand! How can you be unhappy together? You were in love."

"Yes, Ron, we were. But we aren't in love anymore. And we haven't been for a long time...I know that this is hard for you to accept, but you have to." Harry sighed. He was tired of saying the same thing over and over again.

Ron was trying to understand, but he couldn't. In his mind, Harry and Ginny were a happy couple. He'd only ever seen them like that. So he couldn't just accept that their marriage was over. What would they do now? How would Harry live alone? Why would Ginny want to be alone? Wouldn't it be simpler to just work it out? He didn't understand why neither of them was able to see that.

"I'm not denying that you have problems, Harry, but I still think you're being hasty. I don't think either of you has thought this thing through."

"I know it all seems very sudden, but we've been having problems for a long time and we finally reached a breaking point. Neither of us can do this anymore," Harry said.

"But what is the big problem? Why aren't you two able to get along?" Ron said.

"We want different things from life, Ron and it is like we're pulling in opposite directions all the time. So we each end up feeling that the other is holding us back and not letting us live the life we want. I want a quiet life which I want to share with my wife and I want to have time for the kids when they're around...But Ginny needs excitement and novelty. She likes to travel and meet new people and try new things and she wants to share all of that with her husband as well. We are neither of us the partner that the other needs. And that is the best I can explain it," Harry said, making it clear that he didn't want to talk about this anymore.

But Ron couldn't and wouldn't take the hint. "What about the kids then?" He continued.

"What about them? If they're old enough to be in relationships, they're old enough to understand that things don't work out sometimes. I know that this will be hard on them, but it cannot be helped. I'm sure they'll be able to accept it when they see that both Ginny and I want this...that we're actually happy about it."

"It may not be as easy as you think, Harry," Hermione said.

"I'm not expecting it to be easy, Hermione, but it has to be done."

There was a long silence after that. Ron had run out of arguments and Harry was done explaining himself. Hermione was thinking...she'd never seen Harry be so decisive about anything. In fact, he'd always had a tendency to go along with things and put up with stuff that he shouldn't have to accept.

"Something's different about you Harry," she said finally. "You've never really been assertive when it comes to things that affect your life and your happiness, so the fact that you are willing to do this...that you're ready to take such a big step and not care about the fall out...it's a pretty big deal."

"I'm done being unhappy, Hermione. I'm forty one years old and if I don't reach for the life that I want now, I never will. And I'm going to get older until I'm a bitter old man and I really don't want my life to end that way."

"I'm glad to hear that, Harry, but I'm just wondering what or who made you see all this," Hermione said.

_Draco_ , Harry thought.  _He made me feel like I'm special. He made me realise that my life is important that my happiness is worth fighting for. I'd given my life up to duty. He made me see that it didn't have to be that way..._

"I think I finally realised that I don't owe anyone anything and that I can sometimes think about what I want and what I need," he said.

"You don't want or need to be alone, Harry and that is exactly what will happen if you end your marriage," Ron said.

"I can't say that I agree with that," Harry said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. "I may just find someone who wants the same things from life that I do."

Hermione had a feeling that there was something behind that statement, but she didn't call Harry on it. "I hope you do, Harry," she said. "I've only ever wanted you to be happy. And if Ginny can't do that for you, I'd rather you find someone who can."

Ron glared at her when she said that, but she ignored him. She loved her husband, but he could be really pigheaded sometimes.

...

It was just after dinner and Albus was on his way to his dorm to pick up his clothes and his books (he was going to be spending the night with Scorpius and he would need them in the morning.) He was smiling as he went. He'd had a very very good day and he'd realised over dinner that Frank and Rose had finally confessed their feelings to each other...So he was happy for them as well. He walked into the dorm and began to look through his clothes when he noticed Louis sitting on the ledge by the window. He had a frown on his face and his was biting his nails, which for Louis, was a sure sign of distress.

Albus wondered what was going on. Louis had been acting very strange lately. They had always been good friends, but Louis had seemed rather withdrawn for the last couple of weeks. And Albus had caught him staring thoughtfully at him on more than one occasion, particularly when he was with Scorpius. He put his clothes aside and went over to the window. He got up on the ledge next to Louis and sat facing him. He didn't say anything. He just sat there and looked at Louis...

"What?" Louis said.

"You tell me."

"I'm just thinking..."

"You're sitting alone in the dark and biting your nails...that is not just thinking. You are clearly upset about something and I want to know what it is."

"It's nothing."

"Do you know how utterly unconvincing that is? I know there's something on your mind. You've been looking at me thoughtfully for days. Talk to me, Lou."

Albus was right. Louis did want to talk to him, but he'd kept all of this inside him for so long that it was almost instinctive to clam up. But he needed to talk to someone about it. He needed advice and Albus was perhaps the best person to give it. So he willed himself to talk.

"It was over a year ago, now," Louis began. He had been in the quidditch locker room after practice. He had just got out of the shower and he was getting dressed when Stanley Wood stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel, his hair tousled and wet, looking incredibly hot. Louis was shocked by that thought and he tried to turn away, but he couldn't. He stood rooted to the spot, letting his eyes take in the dark hair and the brown eyes which contrasted so beautifully against that fair skin, the strong muscles and those perfect abs, feeling more and more disoriented by the minute.

Louis had been in the quidditch locker rooms and the showers many many times and he'd seen lots of guys in various states of undress, but none of them had stirred anything in him. So he couldn't understand why he had this insane desire to push Stanley against a wall and snog him senseless.

Stanley noticed the staring and he smirked. "Like what you see, Weasley?" He said.

Louis coloured and made a hasty exit. He couldn't understand why he had reacted like that. The fact that Stanley was gay only bothered him more. Louis tried to avoid him after that, but they were both in the same year and they both played quidditch so it was inevitable that would keep running into each other and the more that Louis saw of Stanley, the more he was drawn to him. And Stanley made no secret of the fact that he was attracted to Louis as well. Louis fought it for as long as he could, but he gave in, in the end.

It had been after the Slytherin-Gryffindor match the previous year. Louis had been the last person to make it into the shower. He found Stanley waiting for him when he was done. There was no one there but the two of them. Stanley had had enough of the dancing around and he had decided to take matters in hand. He walked up to Louis and kissed him without saying a word. Louis responded without even realising what he was doing...until he did and pushed Stanley away. He simply could not accept that he had kissed a boy and enjoyed it.

He began trying to avoid Stanley again, but every now and then they would run into each other and end up snogging. And soon things went further, but no matter how many times they got each other off and how much time they spent talking and cuddling after, Louis would never admit that he cared about Stanley or acknowledge that they were in a relationship. Louis was simply unable to give up the idea of himself as a straight man. It all seemed very silly to him now, but it had been a really big deal back then.

Stanley bore it as long as he could...he had, in fact, been very patient as Louis realised now...but there had come a point when he couldn't take it anymore. So he'd given Louis an ultimatum. Louis had chosen to end it rather than admit that he cared about Stanley and acknowledge their relationship publicly. Stanley had been hurt but he had walked away. Louis had been hurt too, but he had been too pigheaded to admit it.

A couple of months went by as the two of them ignored each other's existence and then Louis heard that Stanley was going out with Stewart McMillan. It hurt him terribly, but he was simply not able to bring himself to go back to Stanley and apologise. He was too busy trying to assert him own straightness. So when Clara Greengrass asked him out, he accepted readily. If Stanley could have a boyfriend, there was nothing stopping Louis from getting a girl friend. But he realised pretty quickly that he wasn't interested in her. Stanley was so much more fun to be with and talk to. And he was a lot more attractive to Louis than Clara could ever be.

Nonetheless, Louis stayed with her even after Stanley broke up with McMillan. Clara, for her part was thrilled to be with one of the hottest guys in school and for a while, she chose to interpret his disinterest as shyness and inexperience. But slow as she was, she had finally understood that Louis did not care about her at all and she'd dumped him. And Louis had been relieved. It was only now that he understood that he had had something special with Stanley that he could never have with anyone else and he wanted to get him back. But he had no idea how to go about that.


	35. Chapter 35

Albus listened in silence...whatever he may have expected, it was certainly not this. He had never imagined that Louis would fall for a boy. Everything about him practically screamed that he was straight.  _Which just goes to show that things are not as simple as that. You_   _cannot just slot people into neat little categories,_  he thought. Louis and Stanley... it seemed strange at first, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. They were just enough alike to get along and they were different enough to make an interesting couple.

He'd got that far when Louis told him about the way he and Stanley had broken up and Albus found himself shaking his head at his cousin's stupidity. While he understood that it might have been hard for Louis to accept that he was in a relationship with a man, he couldn't see how he could have been so selfish and uncaring of Stanley and his feelings and so unaware of his own. He found himself getting quite angry with Louis, but he didn't say anything. It was obvious that he had kept all of this to himself for a long time and that he needed to get it all out, so Albus let him talk without interruption.

And then Louis told him about his decision to date Clara Greengrass just because Stanley had started dating McMillan...he'd never understood what Louis had seen in Clara but now he knew.

"Seriously, Lou, I never knew you could be this stupid," he said.

"Me neither," Louis muttered.

"So what made you realise that you'd made a mistake?"

"It was a lot of little things, really. The fact that I couldn't feel anything for Clara was the beginning, I guess."

"And yet you stayed with her..."

"Yeah. I was trying to prove a point. I can't tell you how stupid I feel about that. I kept comparing her to Stan all the time. I found her conversation boring, I did not feel any desire for her no matter how hard I tried and...After a while it just got to be painful. But I didn't break up with her because if I had, I would've had to admit that I'd made a mistake and that I should have stayed with Stan..."

"Why was that so hard to admit? So you fell for a guy. Big deal."

"It is a big deal, Al. It makes you question your identity and everything that you'd believed about yourself. The fact that it wasn't a big deal for you makes you exceptional. Honestly, didn't you have any trouble accepting it?"

"I can't say that I had trouble, exactly. I had my doubts and I was unsure, particularly considering how quickly I grew fond of Scorpius. I even thought we should just be friends for a while. But I couldn't deny my feelings, not when they were so obvious. And once we got together, everything was just so right that there was no reason to question it."

"You make it sound so easy," Louis said.

"It is easy, Lou..." Albus said gently.

Louis sighed. "I feel like such a fool," he said. "I threw away the best thing in my life because I was too small minded accept it."

"Hmmm...What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I'm done denying my feelings. I'm very sorry for what I did and I want to apologise, but I doubt that Stan would listen to me."

"Have you tried to talk to him?"

"No...I haven't been able to muster the courage. And even if I did, I wouldn't know what to say."

"What do you mean you don't know what to say? You say sorry. You beg, you plead, you grovel, but you make him listen to you."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then you try again. Tell me something, Lou. Do you really care about this guy?"

"Yes."

"Enough to sacrifice your pride and do whatever you have to, to get him back?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Good. Because what you did to him is damn near unforgivable. And even if he does forgive you, it will be very difficult for him to trust you again. So you're going to have to work pretty damn hard and it'll probably involve a great deal of heartache. Are you ready for all that?"

"Yes. I want to fix this. But I don't know what to do. I can't just go up to him and apologise."

"Why not?"

"Because I know he won't listen to me. He's hurt and angry."

"Well that's good."

"What do you mean?"

"If he's hurt and angry, it means he still cares about you. If he didn't, he would be indifferent."

Louis sighed again. "I hope you're right," he said. "But that still doesn't help me with my problem. I can't go up and talk to him."

"Then you write him a letter. Apologise, accept all your mistakes and tell him how you feel. Have one of the school owls deliver the letter tomorrow morning and see how he reacts."

"Hmmm...Okay. That is not going to be easy, but at least it is less nerve wracking than talking to him in person."

"But Lou, before you do anything, I want you to be absolutely sure that this is what you want. If things work out between you guys, you are going to have to commit. You cannot walk away again because you are uncomfortable or because you don't want people to know about your relationship...basically, every stupid thing that you've done in this relationship, you cannot do again."

"I know, Al. I know. I've gone through a lot of indecision and hurt and pain and confusion to get here, but now I'm sure. Trust me."

"Okay. Now go write that letter..."

...

It was late evening when Harry left Ron and Hermione and finally got home. He was not in a particularly good mood. Hermione had apparently been talking to Kingsley and she was of the opinion that Harry should take him up on his offer to become Minister of Magic.

"Think about the influence you will have, Harry. You'll be able to do so much good," she'd said over dinner. And Ron had backed her up. They both seemed to think that it was a wonderful opportunity that Harry was lucky to have.

"Not many people get a chance like this Harry, that too, without any effort. Do you know how much Fudge and Kingsley had to go through before they were even considered for the position?" She continued.

"And then there was Dumbledore got offered the job though he didn't want it and he chose to turn it down," Harry said. "I'm with him on this. I don't want the job, so I shouldn't take it."

"That's completely different, mate," Ron said. "Dumbledore turned the job down because he wanted to stay at Hogwarts. You already work for the ministry. You'll just go from being the Head Auror to the Minister. Think about all the power and influence that you'll have. It's crazy not to take the offer."

"Besides, Kingsley is doing this to ensure that he leaves a good man in power. He doesn't want the ministry to become corrupt again, the way it was under Fudge," Hermione said.

_So now this is my duty too?_  Harry thought incredulously.

"I understand everything that you're guys are saying, but this is a job that I really don't want to do. And as far as duty goes, I think I've more than done my bit."

"That's what you said when Kingsley wanted to make you the Head Auror, mate, and look at you now. You're doing so well," Ron said.

"I may be doing well at my job, Ron, but I hate it. I am not happy. I should never have taken this job and this is exactly how I'm going to feel if I were to become Minister...only this time, I'll feel a lot worse."

And so it went on until Hermione put an end to it. She'd never had this much difficulty convincing Harry to do something. She'd started this conversation because she'd assumed that Harry was reluctant to accept the job because he was unsure of himself and his ability to do it well. She had hoped to convince him otherwise, but then she realised that Harry genuinely did not want the job. He wasn't always very good at knowing his own mind, but in this particular instance, he seemed to be very clear in his head and very sure of himself.  _He's changed_ , she thought again and since there didn't seem to be any point in talking about this anymore, she let it go and eventually Ron did too.

"Damn Kingsley! Going behind my back..." Harry grumbled as he stepped out of the floo and into his living room. He'd had a long day of talking about things that he hadn't wanted to talk about and defending and explaining himself and he was tired. He went up to his bedroom and into the bath. He needed a long, hot shower...

About an hour later, he was dressed and standing in front of the fireplace, floo powder in hand. He'd been waiting to see Draco all day but now that the moment was finally here, he felt unaccountably nervous. The memory of the previous night was fresh in his mind and it had been so beautiful and so perfect that he found himself wondering if he had imagined it. He spent a good five minutes dawdling in front of the fireplace and then shook himself and decided that he was being foolish. So he took his courage in hand and stepped through the floo.

Draco was sitting in the armchair facing the fireplace and pretending to read. He'd spent all evening in front of that fireplace, waiting for Harry and getting more and more nervous by the minute. And then his floo flared to life and Harry stepped out.

They looked at each other for a couple of seconds and then they smiled and then Harry walked over to Draco and into a hug.

"I missed you," he said and Draco chuckled.

"I missed you too," he said and the two of them held each other for a long minute.

"You seem tense," Draco commented.

Harry sighed. "Long day," he said.

"Anything I can do to make you feel better?" Draco said suggestively.

"Oh I can think of plenty of things that you could do," Harry replied.

"Let's start here, shall we?" Draco said as he kissed Harry lightly on his lips.

"Mmmm...very good. But I need more than that tonight," Harry said as he pushed Draco onto the couch, settled on top of him and kissed him thoroughly...Harry felt all his stress slip away from him as he lost himself in that kiss. Draco hadn't expected Harry to be quite so forward particularly considering how tentative he'd been the previous night. But he found it a real turn on. The moment of passion passed and then they lay on the couch, holding each other close and kissing softly.

"Please tell me you're not going to run off in a couple of hours," Draco said as he gently ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

"No I won't. I only left last night because I needed some time alone to wrap my head around this and I didn't want to give Ginny any reason to start asking questions. Not that it is any of her business, but I don't need her getting all curious right now."

"What about tonight then?"

"Oh! Ginny's gone to Canada. She left this morning. She's only going to be back on Friday."

"So...what happened today that's left you so tense?"

And then Harry told him about everything that had happened since that morning, the altercation with Ginny, all the conversations with Ron and Hermione, all the pressure that Kingsley was bringing to bear on him on the ministry issue and so on. Draco listened in silence.

"Harry, don't you think it is time you put an end to this ministry business? Tell Shaklebolt firmly that you're not going to do it."

"I know, I just...I can't help feeling that I'll be letting everyone down if I do that."

"You have got to stop thinking like this. You can't let someone down when they don't have the right to expect something from you in the first place. You've already done so much for our world. You don't have to take on any more responsibility if you don't want to."

Harry sighed. "I just wish Kingsley would look elsewhere. I can't be the only honest wizard with an unsullied reputation around."

"Hmmm...No one has quite the reputation that you do, but how about Granger? I'll bet she'd make an excellent minister. She's a war hero like you, she's worked in the DMLE for twenty years, she's behind some of the most significant legislation passed in the last couple of decades, she's incredibly competent and she'd probably love the job."

"She would love the job and it is about time we had a woman in that position..." Harry said as he turned that idea around in his mind. "That is a very good idea, Draco. I'll sound her out in the morning and if she's willing, I can talk to Kingsley about it."

"Good. Now that's settled..." Draco said as he pulled Harry close. Harry smiled and he shifted a bit so that he was lying on top of Draco. It was a position that he found that he liked very much. Draco sighed contentedly they settled into a kiss. It was light and playful at first, a kiss born of affection rather than passion. But as the minutes passed, their need for each other grew and they found themselves snogging passionately, feeling as if the years had somehow slipped away from them, making them feel like teenagers again.

Harry spent the night with Draco, as promised. All they did was sleep with their arms about each other, but that was enough to make them both very happy. For what they were both craved was closeness, affection, warmth and a certainty that that there was someone who cared deeply about them. Draco loved the way Harry snuggled up to him and held on as he slept. It made him feel like he was wanted and needed and...He realised only then just how lonely he had been. Harry had never felt so contented and completely at peace. He loved the way Draco held him in his arms, the warmth, the acceptance, the touch of possessiveness _...He makes me feel special_ , he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

...

Harry awoke the next morning to find Draco getting ready for work. "Good morning." Draco said as he walked over and kissed him.

"Good morning." Harry replied sleepily. "What time is it?"

"It's eight 'o'clock. I'm just going to go down to breakfast. I'll have the house elves bring you some."

"No, it's okay. I'll go home."

"No. Stay, please."

"And do what?" Harry said as he tried to stifle a yawn. "You'll be in classes all day. Besides, I have a few things to do at home and I do need to go speak to Hermione..."

"Okay. But you will come back in the evening, I hope." Draco felt rather vulnerable at that moment. He didn't want to make his need for Harry's company so obvious, but he couldn't help himself.

Harry sensed the vulnerability and he shook his head.  _Really? What does Draco think he has to worry about?_

_"_ Of course, I will," he said, as he got out of bed and pulled Draco into a hug. He held him tight as he gently ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't want to go. I just have a few things I need to get done. And I'll be back as soon as I can. After all, we have to make the most of the two days we have before school breaks up and the kids come home. And tonight, I'll bring my clothes."

"Don't," Draco whispered. "I rather like the sight of you in my pyjamas."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. Green is a good colour on you, Harry," Draco said and then he kissed Harry lightly on his cheek and left. Harry stood staring after him and smiling for a couple of minutes and then he gathered his things and left as well.

...

Louis went down to breakfast that morning feeling extremely nervous. He'd spent hours trying to write that letter to Stanley the previous night. He'd gone up to the owlery a couple of hours ago and given it to a school owl. He walked into the great hall and noticed that Stanley wasn't there yet. He greeted his friends absently and then he sat at the table and tried not to appear too agitated. James looked curiously at him and Lily asked him what was wrong. "Nothing, I just don't feel too well," he said.

Albus and Scorpius walked into the great hall just then and to everyone's surprise, they walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Albus very casually took the seat beside Louis and Scorpius had barely sat down, when Lily moved across the table to sit with him.

"We have things to discuss," she said gravely and Scorpius chuckled.

"How is mission Jeremy going?" He asked.

"He is such a tough nut to crack. I sat with him at lunch yesterday, " Lily said, explaining how she had got up the courage to join Jeremy at the Slytherin table, "and we talked about so many things and we laughed so much. It was fun. And yet, once lunch was done, he told me that he'd had a good time and then he left. I was hoping that we could spend the afternoon together or something but...Honestly, I've never had this much difficulty getting a guy to like me before."

"Oh he likes you, alright. But he's just not sure if he can trust you. He's probably afraid of spending too much time with you."

"Why?"

"Because if he does, there's a good chance that he won't be able to stop himself from asking you out."

"And how do I get him to trust me and like me if he's going to keep running away like that?"

"Keep after him. Be persistent. That's the only thing that will convince him that you're serious."

"Keep after him, huh? I could do that, but I don't want to come off all pushy."

"You won't. He already likes you and he wants to be around you as much as he can, trust me. He's just...fighting it right now. He said he wanted to be friends, right? So be friendly, talk to him every chance you get and make sure he knows you're interested. He'll come around."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm gay, Lily, and even I find you irresistible. Jeremy has no chance of withstanding all that charm."

Lily almost hugged Scorpius on the spot. "You're such a sweetheart!" she said and then she noticed Albus looking at them. "You are one lucky bastard, you know that?" She said.

"Oh I do," Albus said and then he felt Louis stiffen next to him. He turned to see Stanley walk into the hall.

Stanley stepped through the doors and he told himself that he was not going to look at the Gryffindor table. He didn't care that Louis had been devouring him with his eyes all week.  _I'm sure it doesn't_   _mean anything_ , he told himself _. Louis made his disgust for me and our relationship pretty damn obvious. He even went out with that bimbo just to prove that he's straight. After everything that we did together, I don't know how he can still think that. But clearly, he wants to have his illusions and I'm the one who's the big idiot here for not being able to get over him._

He sat at his usual place at the Slytherin table and greeted Ellie and Carlo and started eating his breakfast the way he did every day. The next few minutes were tense as Louis waited for the post to come in. And then it was time. The school owl dropped the letter in front of Stanley and quickly flew away. Louis and Albus held their breaths and watched as Stanley picked up the letter.

He tensed as he recognised the handwriting.  _Why is Louis writing to me?_  He wondered. He was honestly very surprised. He glanced at Louis and noticed that he looked nervous. His first instinct was to rip the letter apart.  _I don't care about anything that he might have_   _to say to me,_ he thought as he felt his temper rising. But he didn't want to draw attention to himself and give his friends a reason to start asking questions. So he decided to let it be for a while. He put the letter in his bag and carried on as if everything was normal.

He noticed that Louis looked disappointed,  _but I don't care_ , he told himself. He finished his meal and left, ignoring Ellie when she asked him where he was off to. He would have to explain himself later, he knew, but Ellie was a sport. She wouldn't be mad at him just because he wanted to be alone for a while. He had an hour before his first class, so he went to the library which was blessedly empty and he found himself a quiet corner. He got the letter out of his bag and turned it over and over in his hands, torn between a desire to tear it and to read it. His curiosity got the better of him in the end. He opened the letter and started to read...


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any of you who might be wondering, Louis and Stanley are in their seventh year and they are both eighteen years old.

Louis watched anxiously as Stanley left the great hall. He had a desperate urge to run after him, but he thought that was probably not the wisest move to make just then, so he stayed where he was. Albus leaned across in front of Louis, apparently reaching for the bacon and whispered, "Go after him. It might be a good idea to try and talk to him right after he reads that letter."

"You think so?"

"Yes. You approach him at any other time and he might just tell you to fuck off, but he'll be too emotional after reading that letter to walk away. He may only yell at you, but at least you'll be talking."

"Okay," Louis whispered as he gathered his things. He had a pretty good idea where Stanley might be. They both had a free first period while most of the students in their year went to Herbology,  _so he's probably gone to the library,_  he thought, as he made his way up the stairs. He found Stanley in a secluded corner at the back of the library. He had the letter in his hand and he was turning it over and over, as he stared at it with a frown on his face. Then he seemed to make up his mind. He opened the letter and started to read.

_Dear Stan,_

_I'll understand if you want to tear this letter into pieces right now, but I'm hoping, for both our sakes that you won't. I probably have no right to talk to you after everything that I did, but I can't help myself. I miss you Stan, I miss you so much. It hurts to look at you every day and think that we could've been together and that we could've been happy...if only I hadn't been such a coward. I've been a fool and a bigoted, small minded idiot. I've treated you very badly and I know that I've hurt you a lot. I am so sorry._

_I don't know why I had so much trouble accepting the fact that I am attracted to you and that I want to be with you. It all seems so silly when I think about it now, but back then, it was somehow very important that I hold on to my identity as a straight man. I hate myself for letting something as trivial as that get in the way of our relationship._

_It was very stupid of me to go out with Clara. When I heard that you were dating McMillan, I was jealous, but I didn't want to accept that feeling for what it was or think about what it meant. So when Clara asked me out, I agreed to go out with her just to spite you. We were together for four months and not once did I feel anything for her. I found myself comparing her unfavourably to you every time that we were together._

_I cannot tell you how ashamed I am to write these words, but I have to accept what I did before I can make any attempt to fix it. And I do want to fix it, Stan. Though I didn't accept it at the time, I know that what we had was special._

_Sorry is very inadequate word to use and I wish I had another at my disposal that would adequately express just how upset and distressed I am by my own behaviour. I have no explanation and no defence. I'm not asking you to forgive me; I know I don't have the right. But I am hoping, quite desperately that you'll give me another chance._

_I treated you horribly and I have no excuse for my behaviour, but I have changed. I have stopped denying my feelings and pretending to be someone that I'm not. I care about you deeply and I'm ready to do anything that I have to, to convince you of my sincerity. I miss you so much. Please give us another chance, mon cher._

_Lou._

Stanley felt his heart clench at that endearment. He would have given so much to hear Louis say that at one time. But that was months ago. Now it just made him angry. He seriously considered incinerating the damn letter, but he somehow got his anger under control and picked up the letter and read it again. He read it slowly, focussing on every word and every expression and he came away feeling overwhelmed.

He got the feeling that Louis was actually serious about his apology and that he was truly sorry for the things that he'd done. There was a part of him, the one that hadn't been able to get over Louis at all, that had been hoping that something like this would happen, that Louis would realise that he'd made a mistake and come back to him. And now he had.

_But that doesn't mean that I am ready to forgive him or to trust him again. He broke my heart. He can't just write a damn letter an expect me to forgive him,_  he thought and then he looked up just as Louis walked over to him. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Stanley's first impulse was to tell Louis to fuck off and walk away from him, but he knew that he was too angry and too hurt to be able to do that. There was so much that he had been keeping inside him for months now, so much that needed to be said. It was a burden that he really couldn't carry any more.

Louis saw that Stanley was angry. It was something that he had expected and something that he knew he fully deserved, but that did not make it any easier to deal with. He was nervous and he found himself rather inconveniently, at a loss for words. So he stood there looking apologetic and waiting for the tirade that he knew was on its way. Stanley was seething. The longer he looked at Louis the angrier he got. He knew that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from shouting. And they were in the library.

"Let's not do this here," he said tersely and then he turned on his heel and walked out.

Louis followed him. He was rather surprised when Stanley led him all the way down to the dungeons and through the Slytherin common room. Louis had never been there before. Stanley had invited him many times, but he'd always refused saying that he didn't want anyone to know about them. He felt so stupid about that now, particularly when he saw the ease with which Albus and Scorpius seemed to move back and forth between their common rooms and dormitories.  _Everything about those two seems easy,_  he thought enviously as he followed Stanley into his dormitory. Stanley shut the door and locked it and then he turned to Louis and exploded.

"You're sorry, Lou, really? You stepped all over my heart and now you say sorry? How dare you? You think you can ignore me for months and then just write me a letter saying that you're sorry and expect me to forgive you?"

"I...don't expect you to forgive me, Stan. I just wish you'd give me another chance," Louis said as gently as he could.

"Another chance to do what? Use me and then screw me over?"

Louis sighed. "I...deserve that. What I did was selfish and cruel, but I wasn't using you, I swear. It's true that I refused to accept our relationship for what it was, but I kept coming back to you because I couldn't stay away, Stan, not because I was trying to take advantage of you. You have to believe me..."

Stanley did believe him. He knew that Louis had not been taking advantage of him. The problem had been his inability to accept that he wanted to be with a man. Somehow that had been a huge admission for him to make _. And when I insisted that he had to acknowledge our relationship or end it, he panicked and ran because he was simply not ready to accept it yet,_  Stanley thought.  _But that still doesn't make it okay. He abandoned me. He walked away from our relationship like it was nothing_.

"You have every right to be angry," Louis continued. "But I'm honestly sorry. I can't undo anything that I did, but I could make it up to you, if you would let me. I'm sorry I kept denying it, but we had a pretty special relationship, Stan. We can't just throw it away."

Stanley was furious. The word relationship coming from Louis really set him off. "What relationship? The one that you kept insisting that we didn't have? We were together for six months, Lou and you never once admitted that you felt anything for me. I kept waiting and hoping that you would come around but you didn't. I gave you so many chances. I forgave you again and again. And yet, you walked away from me. Do you know how much that hurt, you bastard?" Stanley said. He had to take a deep breath to keep from choking up.

Louis saw that and it made him feel even worse. He had no idea what to say.  _How does_   _one apologise for the unforgivable?_  He thought. "I know I hurt you, Stan. I was horrible to you, and I wish I hadn't been..." He said and his eyes started to fill with tears. Stanley tried not to be affected by them, but he couldn't quite manage it.

"I know that I never once told you that I cared about you," Louis continued, as he tried to blink away the tears, "but I did, a lot. I just wasn't ready to admit it. All that time with Clara only made me realise how special you are and how much you mean to me. I've had a long time to think about us and everything that we did together and I can't deny my feelings anymore. I don't want to."

"I've been very unhappy without you, Stan. I know I don't deserve another chance, but I'm asking for it anyway. You have to believe me when I tell you that I've changed. I want you back and I don't care who knows about us and what they're going to think and all the other nonsense that I let get in the way the last time around..."

Stanley felt his heart begin to melt. Louis sounded like he really meant everything that he'd said and angry as he was he couldn't deny that he wanted Louis back in his life.  _But I can't risk it,_  he thought.  _I cannot risk my heart like that again._

_..._

Albus hoped that Louis would be able to talk things out with Stanley. He knew that it was too much to expect Stanley to forgive Louis right away, but he hoped that they would begin to talk to each other at least...and then he started to worry about his own life. He was planning to tell his teammates of his decision to quit the team. He had considered waiting until he got home and telling James and Lily first, but Scorpius had suggested that it might be better to do it before they went home for the holidays.

"I think you should tell them as soon as you can," he'd said, when they had talked about it the previous night. "We only have two days of school left before the break, so if you tell them now, you'll only have to put up with a couple of days of your team mates trying to make you change your mind or yelling at you or whatever. They can't do anything in the holidays and by the time we come back to school, they'll have got used to the idea. You'll still be stuck with James and Lily, but that's a lot better than having your entire house at your throat."

That was advice that had made a lot of sense to him, so he'd decided that he was going to gather his team in the common room after dinner and tell them then. It was not something he was looking forward to at all,  _but I can't put it off any more_ , he thought, as he made his way to the dungeons for Potions class with Scorpius beside him. Scorpius took his hand and squeezed lightly. "It'll be fine, love. They might be angry to begin with, but they'll come around, trust me."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that I hate confrontations and things have just settled down with Jamie and I don't want to have to argue and fight with him again."

"He may not want to fight with you either, you know."

"Perhaps, but he will not like the idea of my quitting the team and neither will Lily. In fact I can see her getting quite spectacularly angry. And though I'm only going to be telling my team mates, the entire house will get involved. And once they realise that they can't make me change my mind, they'll do everything they can make me feel like a worm."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They won't leave me alone. It's a Gryffindor thing. They're fiercely loyal, but they can gang up on you and get really hostile if they think you've betrayed them. And this will seem like betrayal of the worst kind, because quidditch is practically religion to them."

"Interesting how you keep referring to Gryffindors as them," Scorpius said softly.

Albus flushed. "That wasn't deliberate, but it does a good job of expressing my feelings, I guess. I've never really felt like I belong there."

"Well, if things get too bad, you can always run across to Ravenclaw. My housemates have all grown rather fond of you and it seems they are so used to seeing us together that if they ever see me alone they ask me where you are."

"Yeah. Rosie told me the other day that some of them have taken to calling me an honorary Ravenclaw."

"And why not? You are the only student from another house who gets into our common room as easily as any of us.'

They had almost reached the Potions classroom, when Scorpius pulled his boyfriend aside. He took Albus' hands in his and looked right into his eyes. "It is going to be difficult and I know how much you hate it when someone says nasty things to you and you may have to face quite a bit of that in the next couple of days, but it will be fine. You need to do this, you need to assert yourself and everyone is just going to have to accept it. Now stop thinking about it, alright."

"Okay," Albus said as he smiled rather ruefully.

"Good. Now let's get inside the class before dad decides to dock points."

...

"No, Lou. I can't give you another chance," Stanley said, gently. They'd been talking for the better part of an hour now and his anger was almost entirely gone.

"Even though you still care about me?"

Stanley opened his mouth to refute that statement, but then he decided against it. His anger and hurt had made his feelings obvious,  _so what's the point in denying it? "_ Yes," he said, "even though I care about you, I can't give you another chance, because...because I can't risk my heart like that again."

Louis felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He had been expecting that Stanley would say something like this, but he'd been holding on to a tiny bit of hope...He sighed. "Why?" He said. "Is it because you don't believe anything that I said?"

"I do believe you, Lou, but I don't trust you. I can't. Not again."

"Hmmm...Can I ask you something?" Louis said.

"Sure."

"Why did you break up with McMillan?"

"Um...I hadn't got over you and though I liked him and all that, I kind of froze every time he came close to me, so..." Stanley trailed off looking embarrassed.

"Stan, surely we deserve another chance, if we both care about each other..."

"When you put it like that, yes. But we didn't break up because we had problems with each other. We broke up because you couldn't accept our relationship or acknowledge your feelings for me. It cut too deep, Lou. It hurt too much. I really don't think I can get past that."

"Can't say I blame you for feeling like that," Louis said and then he stood up and walked towards the door.

Then he turned around and said, "But don't think I'm going to give this up so easily, Stan. I...I don't know if this is the right time to say this, but...I love you...and I'm not going to give up on you, no matter what you say."

He stood there for another minute, looking Stanley right in the eye and letting him see that he'd really meant what he'd said and then he quickly undid the locking spell on the door and left. Stanley was stunned. He sat on his bed with a thud and shook his head trying to make sense of everything that had happened. He'd woken up just a few hours ago, thinking about Louis, the way he always did and wondering hopelessly when he would get over him. And then there was that letter and the apology that he'd waited so desperately for and then Louis saying that he loved him...he felt as if his world had been turned upside down and he had no idea what to do.

 

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

Louis was a rather shaken as he walked out of that dormitory and through the Slytherin common room. That had been a very intense  conversation and it had left him feeling even more guilty than before. It was the first time that Stanley had talked about how hurt he had been and, still was, in fact... _It is a miracle that he still cares about me._  Louis thought as he made his way to Defence class. But upset as he was with the way he had treated Stanley all those months ago, Louis knew that he could make him happy, very happy even, if he could somehow convince Stanley to give him another chance. He spent all morning thinking about ways and means and by lunch time he had a few ideas.

**...**

Harry walked away from his lunch meeting with Ron and Hermione feeling quite pleased with himself. Hermione had absolutely loved the idea. Ron had grumbled a bit about always being the sidekick, but other than that, he thought it was pretty good idea too. So there was only Kingsley who had to be convinced. And that turned out to be a lot easier than Harry had expected. Kingsley was disappointed by Harry's refusal, of course, but he couldn't deny that Hermione would make an excellent Minister. Her competence and her reputation were both beyond question and when Harry pointed out that it would be a real boost to the ministry and for Kingsley himself to put forward a woman and a muggle born for the position of minister, he simply couldn't say no. And when Harry promised to endorse Hermione's candidacy and give her all the support she might need, Kingsley was satisfied and Harry walked out of the ministry feeling like a free man.

It was such a relief not to have to go to back to his office and spend hours signing off paperwork or doing some other totally unimaginative thing that was required of him. It felt so good to be walking out of the ministry in the middle of the day knowing that the rest of his day was his do with as he wanted.  He’d assumed that he would go back to work after his month long holiday and get back into the dull but familiar routine and carry on the way he'd been doing for the past decade. But just a couple of days away from work had made him see just how much his job had been weighing on his soul.  _Is Draco right?_ He wondered _. Is it time to make a change? Find something else to do, something that_   _I can actually be passionate about?_  He thought as he made his way down the busy street towards the Leaky Cauldron...

**...**

It was dinnertime at Hogwarts. Stanley walked into the great hall looking as abstracted as he had been all day. None of his friends could get anything out of him no matter how hard they tried. “Nothing,” he would say with a shrug and then he would walk away. Stanley hadn’t looked at Louis even once, after that conversation in the morning. It was not because he was angry, but because he had no desire to have his resolve tested. He cared about Louis a great deal and to hear him apologise so sincerely and tell him that he loved him...that had not been easy to deal with. A part of him wanted to walk over to Louis right then and say, “Fine. Let’s give it another shot.” But that would not be a good idea, so he kept his eyes on the table, ignored everyone around him and tried to get through the meal as quickly as he could and get back to the relative safety of his dorm.

Suddenly, there was a flutter of wings as an owl flew into the great hall, with a package tied to his leg. Almost everyone stopped what they were doing to look at that owl which flew up to Stanley and landed on his shoulder. It was a strange sight because mail was always delivered in the morning. The oddness of the timing was a clear indication that the package had been sent by someone at the school. Stanley knew as soon as he saw the owl, that this was Louis’ doing.

 _Bloody hell!_ He thought as he quickly untied the package and put it in his pocket. There was no way he was going to open it now with everyone looking so curiously at him. He couldn’t resist looking at Louis though. Louis it seemed had been waiting for this. He looked Stanley right in the eye and held his gaze. Stanley tried to look away, but he couldn't. Ellie had been watching him ever since they had walked into the great hall, hoping to figure out the reason for his abstraction. The arrival of the package, obviously a gift going by the way Stanley had coloured at the sight of it, combined with the direction that his eyes had taken the moment he saw the owl, made things pretty obvious. Ellie was the only one of Stanley's friends who had known about Louis and she was wondering why Louis was suddenly sending gifts and why Stanley appeared to be so interested in him again...

"Something you want to tell me about?" She said as she tapped her friend on his arm to get his attention.

"What?" Stanley said as he finally managed to drag his eyes away from Louis.

"What's going on with you and Weasley?" She said.

"Nothing. Nothing's going on," he said.

"Right. So you just decided to have a staring match over dinner...In fact, Weasley looks like he'd rather have you for dinner," she said as she glanced at Louis again.

Stanley coloured...Louis did look like he wanted to eat him. And try as he might, he couldn't deny that he liked it. "Are you going to tell me or should I go ask him?" Ellie said.

"Fine. But not here."

"Okay. Your dorm, eight ‘o’ clock?"

Stanley nodded. He tried gamely not to look at Louis again, but he failed quite spectacularly. Every time he looked up, he was greeted by a smile designed to melt his insides and he couldn’t help noticing just how beautiful Louis really was. _Damn those veela genes_ , he thought as he forced himself to look away for the tenth time in as many minutes. He decided then that he simply couldn’t eat anymore and he got up and left quickly. He went into his dorm and locked it. One of the privileges of being a prefect and quidditch captain was that you got to have your own room...a fact that Stanley really appreciated just then.

He got the package out the pocket of his robes and opened it. It was chocolate...Stanley was a fitness freak and he’d almost made a religion out of healthy eating, but he had a weakness for chocolate. A fact that only Ellie and Louis knew...and there was a particular kind of chocolate that Honeydukes made, a combination of dark chocolate, hazelnuts and cranberries that he was extremely fond of...it was one of the more expensive items in the store. And Louis had somehow got it for him. He was staring at it and finding it hard to believe that all of this was actually happening when he noticed a little note in the package. He opened it...it was very brief.

 _I love you,_ was all that it said.And that was all it had to say, really.

...

It was about an hour later. Albus was in the Gryffindor common room surrounded by his team and other members of his house who hadn’t been invited to join the conversation, but had elected to do so anyway. He had just informed them of his decision to quit the team. There was silence for a couple of minutes. No one seemed to know how to react.

“Is this a joke?” Lily said finally.

“No,” Albus said.

“Are you out of your mind?”  (James)

“What the hell are you thinking? You just won us the match against Slytherin. You can’t quit now.” (Lily)

“I don’t understand this. Why would you want to quit?” (Fred)

“This doesn’t make any sense.” (Liam)

“Are you sure about this, Al?” (Frank)

“Of course he’s not sure. This is just another of his idiotic ideas.” (James)

Louis was the only one who didn’t say anything. Albus was surprised by his own calm. He realised that he genuinely didn’t care what any of them thought or said. This was his choice to make and he’d made it. They would just have to lump it.

“This is not a whim and I’m certainly not out of my mind. I simply don’t want to play quidditch anymore. It takes up too much of my time and my life...and I’ve really had enough.”

“This isn’t just about you,” Lily said. “You can’t abandon the team like that, Al.”

“Look I’m sorry about that, okay. But I just can’t do it anymore. Besides we have only one match left this year and that’s against the Ravenclaws. You don’t need me to win that.”

“That is not the bloody point!” Lily said. “We’re a team, we work together and we gel. You don’t change a winning combination and certainly not in the middle of the season.”

“I know and I’m sorry about the timing. But I just can’t play anymore. And you can’t tell me that you would’ve been more receptive to the idea of my quitting if I had told you at the beginning of the term.”

“Of course not,” James said. “This isn’t about when you quit. You shouldn’t be quitting at all.”

“You’re being selfish,” Fred said.

“I never expected this of you, Al,” James said.

“What I fail to understand is what you need all the extra time for. I mean if you do quit the team, what will you do?” Fred said.

“He’ll hang out with his boyfriend,” James muttered.

“Shut up Jamie. That is not what this is about and I would appreciate it greatly if you didn’t drag Scorpius in to this.” Albus said.

“Why not? You’ve changed ever since you got together with that guy. You hardly spend any time with us anymore. You’re always at the Ravenclaw table at mealtimes, you spend most of your evenings in their common room and now it seems you’ve taken to spending nights there as well. It’s almost like you’re not one of us anymore,” James said.

Albus was furious. He couldn’t believe that James had just said that in front of the entire common room. But angry as he was, there was no way he was going to get into a yelling match with his brother _, not now and_ _certainly not here_. _But I’m not going got keep quiet and take any of this_ _nonsense either_ , he thought.

Louis cut in before Albus could say anything. “Lay off, Jamie. That was totally uncalled for. Scorpius has nothing to do with this and you know it. Stop looking for someone to blame.”

James looked at Louis like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lily cut him off. “He’s right Jamie. If Al isn’t spending enough time with us that’s because we Gryffindors haven’t made Scorpius feel particularly welcome. And you won’t understand how that feels unless your boyfriend or girlfriend is from another house. So drop it. Besides this is about the team, not about you and Al and whatever unresolved issues you may have.”

James glared at his sister, but he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t ignore the small voice in his head telling him that he shouldn’t have embarrassed his brother like that in front the entire house.

“You can’t quit the team, Al. You just can’t,” Lily continued.

“I’m sorry, Lil, but I have to. I can’t play anymore. Besides, you shouldn’t have anyone in your team who is less than totally committed.”

“But why aren’t you committed?”

“Because I really don’t like quidditch all that much.”

“What?” She sounded shocked, like she couldn’t understand how it was possible for someone to not like quidditch.

“But...you’ve been playing for years,” Frank said, “and you’re so good at it.’

“The fact that I’m good at something doesn’t mean that I enjoy it,” Albus said.

“But...why now?” Frank said again.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while...since the summer in fact but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.’

“So why do it now? Why not carry on the way you have?” Fred said. “You know, for the team.”

“Because I have finally decided to stop thinking about what everyone else wants...”

“You’ve decided to be selfish, you mean,” Liam said.

“No. I’ve decided to do what I want, which you of all people should understand, Liam. I don’t think you’ve ever once done something that you didn’t want to do,” Albus said.

“Yeah. But I’ve never bailed on my team either.”

Albus sighed. He’d known that they would react like this. “Look guys, I don’t expect any of you to understand, because all of you love quidditch. But I don’t and I need to quit because I can’t devote so much of my life to doing something that I don’t particularly care about. You can guilt trip me all you want, but I’ve made up my mind and I’m not about to change it.” Albus said and then he turned and left.

...

Stanley was still sitting and staring at the note when Ellie knocked on his door. He let her in. She saw the chocolate and raised her eyebrows. He handed her the note and her eyebrows went up even further.

“When did this happen?” She said.

He silently handed her the letter that Louis had sent him that morning and then he lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Wow," Ellie said when she finished. "Weasley sounds like he's really sorry."

"I know."

"So this is the letter you got at breakfast?"

Stanley nodded and then he went on to tell her everything that had happened next, including Louis' parting declaration.

"You want him back, don't you?" She said softly.

"Yes, but I can't bring myself to trust him again."

"Why not? Everyone deserves a second chance."

"I know that. But I'm too messed up inside. I want him back in my life, but if we do get together, I know I'll have trouble being close to him. I'll be guarded and watchful and I'll analyse every little thing that he says and does and ...He was so uncomfortable with our relationship because I'm a man. He was ashamed of wanting me. I can't get over that, Ellie.”

"I understand what you're saying, Stan, but I still don't think you should give up on this. Maybe all you need is a little time. Merlin knows, I'm not a fan of Weasley, but he makes you happy and you love him. You can't throw that away."

"I don't love him," Stanley said defensively.

"Yes you do, honey. It's all over your face. So, don't bother denying it. And stop trying to drag to me off on a tangent. You have to give him a chance. You'll regret it if you don't, trust me."

Stanley sighed. "I know that...I think I'm afraid that if we get together now, it'll just be a disaster because I have too many hurtful memories and they won't just go away..."

"Hmmm...Okay. So how about you give him another chance, but you tell him that you're not ready for a relationship yet. Try being friends and hanging out together...openly this time and let things take their course."

 


	38. Chapter 38

Albus stepped out of the portrait hole and took a few steps down the corridor when he realised that his brother was coming after him. He found himself groaning silently. He turned around and waited.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, Al, but you'd better stop this idiocy before you turn the whole house against you..." James said as soon as he caught up with his brother. "You're being ridiculous! No one quits the quidditch team. It's just not done," he continued.

"What do you mean, it's not done? I don't want to play anymore. Why is that so hard to understand?"

"If you quit, you let down the team and the house. Why don't you understand that?"

"I don't know why you guys are making such a big deal of this...I'm not the only seeker in Gryffindor."

"No. But you're best we have."

"True, but Shelly is good too. So is Albert. All they need is a little bit of training, which I’m sure you can manage.”

“This is not about them. This is about you.”

“I don't want to play anymore."

"And that's all that matters, isn't it? You don't give a damn about the team or about any of us. You don't care what any of us think anymore and that hurts, Al."

"Oh and you think your behaviour doesn't hurt me?" Albus said. "Have you stopped for one second to think about me and try to understand why I want to do this? I'm not like the rest of you Jamie. I don't care about quidditch. I care about books and school and magic. Unlike you, I want to study and spend more time on my assignments instead of hastily putting something together and turning it in because I don't have the time to do any more. Does any of this make sense to you?"

It was obvious that it didn't. "You want more time to study?" James said as if that a very strange thing for a student to want.

Albus couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, strange as it seems. I want more time to study. And I don't want be playing quidditch when my heart is no longer in it. You may not understand it, Jamie, but I hope you'll try to accept it," he said and he made to turn away.

"I don't believe a word of that," James said, as he grabbed his brother by his arm and stopped him. "Until a couple of months ago, you were one of us. We hung out together all the time. But now you're not around at all. You've changed, Al. Being with Malfoy has changed you."

_There we go again,_ Albus thought, as he tried to keep a lid on his temper.

"I told you not to drag Scor into this..."

"I can't help it. I've tried to accept this relationship of yours, but it's taking you further and further away from us."

Albus wanted to scream, he was so frustrated. "For the last time, Jamie, leave Scor out of this! This is about you and me and the sad fact that we just can't seem to get along anymore. It's been two days, just two days since we made up and now we're fighting again."

"It's your own damn fault! You insist on doing one idiotic thing after another. And you don't seem to care about me at all. Quidditch is one of the big things that we used to share and now you want to just give that up? Doesn't it matter to you that in a few months time I'll finish school and then we can't share any of this even if we want to?" James said bitterly and then he turned on his heel and left before his brother could say anything.

Albus wanted to bang his head against the wall.  _It's just like Jamie to accuse me of something and walk away without letting me say anything...as if he believes that I couldn't possibly have a defence_ , he thought as he stood in that corridor suddenly feeling very alone. Finally he turned and walked away feeling frustrated and upset. Some of the things that his brother had said had really bothered him.

Albus walked into the Ravenclaw common room and found Scorpius waiting for him. He went straight up to him and pulled him into a hug. And then he just stood there and held on without saying anything. Scorpius didn't ask any questions. He just held his boyfriend close and told him that everything was going to be fine.

"Am I being selfish?" Albus said after a while.

"Not at all. And anyone who told you that is just trying to manipulate you. There is nothing wrong with doing what you want to do, trust me."

"Then why do I feel so lousy?"

Scorpius pulled looked back and looked at Albus for a moment. "What happened, love?"

"Jamie..." Albus said and then he sat down heavily on the couch and put his head in his hands.

"What did he say?"

Albus told him. "He shouldn't have said some of those things, but it sounds like he misses you...like that's where the anger is coming from. That not a bad thing, exactly."

"No, but why does he insist on being so unfair? He says that I haven't been spending any time with him ever since you and I got together...that's true. But why does he not understand that if I've been staying away from him, it is because he does everything he can to make you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome when you're around. And he of all people has no business asking me why I want to spend all my time with you. I mean, ever since he got together with Jennifer, I haven't seen him once without her hanging on his arm. She's around all the time. None of us has ever complained about that. In fact, we do everything we can to make her feel welcome...Why the hell can't he do the same for me?" Albus was clearly very agitated.

Scorpius put his arm around him and kissed him softly on his cheek. "Maybe you should talk try and talk to your brother about it, you know without either of you getting angry and yelling."

"I don't think that's possible, Scor. Jamie doesn't want to talk or to fix anything...he just wants to blame me for the fact that we're not getting along. And I'm done trying to explain myself."

"Hmmm...Then maybe you should just let this go for a while. Give yourself a little bit of time to cool down and then once you're home with your parents, you can talk this out peacefully."

"Maybe..."

"Why don't we go up to the dorm?" Scorpius suggested after a bit. "It's nearly bedtime."

"Okay."

They went up to the dorm, changed into their pyjamas and got into bed. Albus shut the curtains and Scorpius put up  a privacy spell. Then they lay on the pillow, holding hands and looking at the glowing ball of purple light that Scorpius conjured for them every night. Albus was still a bit upset, but there was something about lying in the dark and looking at that little ball of light that soothed him. He turned to look at Scorpius and wondered how he could always be so peaceful, so happy and so delightfully himself...

"I love you," Albus said.

"I love you too..."

Albus sighed and then he turned and put his arm around Scorpius and snuggled up to him. Scorpius pulled him close and gently ran his fingers through that thick mop of dark hair that he'd grown really fond of. They stayed like that for a long time, neither of them felt the need to say anything...just being close was enough.

...

In another part of the castle Draco Malfoy walked back into his rooms and put away his books. He watched in amusement as Harry continued to be engaged in a spirited conversation with Snape and Dumbledore who had snuck into Snape's portrait to have a look at his favourite student. That look had turned into an hour's worth of conversation and it was still going on. Draco had joined in for a while, but then the demands of his job had drawn him out. He'd ventured to the library to pick up a few books that he would need for his sixth and seventh year classes the next day. He'd just got back to find that Harry was still in the middle of lively conversation with the two former head masters. He put the books on the table and went over to the couch.

"Well, someone looks comfortable." he murmured as he looked fondly at Harry who was sitting back in the couch with his shoes off and his feet resting on the coffee table. He'd tossed his cloak on the armchair, he'd rolled up his sleeves and he was sitting with his hands behind his head...he looked entirely at home. It pleased Draco no end to see Harry feel so completely at home with him.

Harry smiled up at him and shifted so Draco could join him on the couch. “You took your time,” he said.

“I ran into Minerva on the way and she was a bit upset and we got talking...”

“Why was she upset?” Harry asked.

“It seems Edwards had just been to see her...he teaches Defence,” Draco said when he saw the look of puzzlement on Harry’s face. “It seems he has to take six months off to go back to his job as an auror. He has a case in Europe, something that he had been involved in sorting out a few years ago. It’s been reopened for whatever reason and now he has to go back and deal with it...He apparently received a letter from the Head Auror himself, “ Draco said as he looked pointedly at Harry.

“Oh!...” Harry said. “I’d completely forgotten that he was teaching here. I got a letter from Monsieur Lumiere about week ago and I told my secretary to get hold of Edwards. I didn’t make the connection.”

“Anyway thanks to you, we’ve lost our Defence teacher with more than six months of the school year still to go. And Minerva has no idea what to do...” Draco said thoughtfully.

“The curse of the Defence teacher...I had hoped that it would end with Voldermort, but it seems it hasn’t.” Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

“Really?” Harry was surprised. “Are you still being forced to get a new teacher every year?”

“It hasn’t been as bad as that, but the longest anyone has ever stayed is three years,” Dumbledore said.

It was a couple of minutes before Harry realised that the other three men were looking at him with a decidedly speculative look in their eyes. Dumbledore, in fact, had that twinkle in his eyes which had always made Harry wonder what kind of trouble he was going to find himself in next.

“What?” He said.

“I think it is a wonderful idea,” Dumbledore said.

“I think that’s a pretty good idea too,” Snape said. “I’ve never had a particularly high opinion of Potter, but this is something that even I think he can do.”

“Besides, he’s the one who’s responsible for this mess so he should be the one fixing it,” Draco said with a sly look on his face.

“I can’t believe I never thought about it before,” Dumbledore said.

“Minerva will be thrilled,” Snape said.

And that was when Harry realised what they were all talking about. “Oh no! You have got to be kidding!” He said.

“Of course not, my boy. I think you’d be perfect for the job,” Dumbledore said.

“But I already have a job!” Harry protested.

“Which you hate...” Draco pointed out.

“Yes, but at least I’m good at it. I would be miserable at teaching, trust me.”

“That’s not what your mates from the DA thought. They all said you were brilliant,” Draco said.

“But that was different!” Harry said.

“That was Defence, Harry and you did a brilliant job of teaching it though you were only fifteen at the time. Now you’re older and you have so much more experience,” Draco said. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy running the DA.”

Harry sighed. He couldn’t deny that Draco was right. Running the DA had been the most fun he’d had at school other than playing quidditch. “Well, you’re right about all that, but it still doesn’t mean...”

“It is only for six months, Harry,” Draco said. “All I’m saying is that you should try it. It’s better than going back to that job you hate so much.”

Harry was reminded of the way he’d felt that morning when he had walked out of the ministry and then he sighed. “I’ll think about it,” he said...

...

Breakfast the next morning was stressful time for a lot of people. Albus knew what everyone in Gryffindor was thinking and saying about him and he really didn’t want to face any of them. He was particularly wary of facing his siblings. He had been tempted to sneak into the kitchens for breakfast, but Scorpios had insisted that they go to the great hall. “You cannot let them see that you’re uncomfortable,” he’d said.

Stanley had spent all night tossing and turning and thinking about everything that Louis had said to him that day and Ellie’s suggestion that he and Louis should try to be friends and...He came down to breakfast feeling unsure of himself and wary of what Louis might say or do next. Louis had spent a sleepless night too, wondering how Stanley had reacted to his gift and thinking about what he could say or do to convince Stanley to give him another chance. He walked into the great hall that morning with a plan in mind, but it was a plan that made him nervous, so he could barely eat as he sat across the hall from Stanley staring at him and trying to calm his nerves.

All of Gryffindor was talking about Albus, but Louis was off in his own world, a fact that irritated James and Fred no end, but no matter what they did, they couldn’t draw him out.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” James asked finally.

“Not in the least. Albus should be free to what he wants to do,” Louis said dismissively.  “And now if you will excuse me,” he said and then he stood up and made his way to the Slytherin table.

Stanley saw him coming and he was very surprised, but he pretended not to notice. Louis walked right up to him and said, “Stan, I need to talk to you. Would you take a walk with me?”

Stanley stared. He was aware that everyone at his table at least, was looking at him. Ellie nudged him. “Why are you thinking? Go,” she whispered fiercely.

“Okay,” Stanley said.

“Good,” Louis said and then he held out his hand. It was a calculated gesture, one that could’ve blown up in his face, but luckily for him, Stanley understood the importance of it. It was Louis trying to prove to him that he really meant it when he said that he didn’t care what anyone thought anymore... so he quietly took the offered hand and they walked out of the great hall, holding hands and leaving quite a few people staring curiously after them.

 

 


	39. Chapter 39

"What are you trying to do?" Stanley said the moment they stepped out of the great hall.

"I'm trying to prove a point," Louis said.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? I had to do something to show you that I've changed."

"So you decided to do this? Don't you care at all that your friends were watching and that they'll ask questions about me and why we were holding hands and if you tell them anything like the truth, they'll ask you if you're gay...after all, these are the issues that we broke up over."

"Which is why I had to make the point. None of those things are issues for me anymore, trust me."

Stanley sighed. "You keep saying that you've changed and...I'm starting to believe you. But I must admit that I'm having some difficulty wrapping my head around this..." Stanley said as he glanced at their linked hands...and then he gently pulled away. Louis let go reluctantly.

"Why is it so difficult to accept?" He said.

"Because you were so different, Lou. I get that you've changed, but I don't understand why or how. It all seems very sudden and...it doesn't make sense."

"It's not as sudden as you think."

"Eight months ago you walked out on me because I insisted that we stop hiding our relationship. You didn't want anyone to know about us...heck, you didn't even want to accept that we were in a relationship. And now suddenly you say that you love me and you don't care who sees us and thinks what. Why? What changed, Lou?"

Louis sighed. He wasn't sure how the change of heart had happened, exactly but he knew he had to find a way to explain. "It was a lot of little things...I walked away from you and I tried to convince myself that I did the right thing, because I am not gay, which means that we shouldn't be together and other such nonsense. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't ignore the fact that I was unhappy and everything just felt wrong...I put it down to guilt for having treated you so badly. Though even there I lied to myself, saying that I felt guilty because I had led you on and made you think that we had a relationship and..."

“Yeah right!” Stanley said.

"I know how stupid that sounds, alright," Louis said ruefully.

"Sorry," Stanley said. "I couldn't help it, though I must say that I never expected you to be so honest."

"It's not easy to confess to all of my stupidity, but I’m willing to do anything to get you to give me another chance, so..."

Louis looked so contrite that Stanley simply didn't have the heart to be angry with him anymore...In fact, he felt a strong urge to grab Louis and hold him tight, but he wasn’t about to do that, so he closed his eyes and tried to get a hold of himself.

"What happened then?" He asked after a couple of minutes.

"Clara. Being with her was...illuminating. She's one of the most beautiful girls in the school and she was obviously attracted to me, but I couldn't feel anything for her. And trust me, I tried. But I kept comparing her to you and she kept falling short...I just couldn't get you out of my head. And when she broke up with me, I was actually relieved. That made me think and for the first time I took an honest look at my feelings and I realised that somehow I’d fallen in love with you and it was you I wanted. The fact that you’re a man is completely irrelevant. It was a major realisation...like a light bulb going off in my head."

"You can't tell me that you accepted your feelings just like that..."

“Oh no. I freaked out quite a bit and went right back into denial, but then I'd see you every day and feel what I was feeling until denial just didn't work anymore. And then Al and Scorpius came out and those guys...they looked so happy with each other. That could've been us...if I hadn't been so stupid. I wanted to talk to you, apologise and see if you would maybe give me another chance, but it took me a couple of weeks to gather my courage..."

"Because you were sure that I would tell you to fuck off."

"Yeah...and I deserved it too."

_There's that kicked puppy look again_ , Stanley thought as he felt his heart melt.  _Damn it! Despite everything_   _he's done to hurt me, all he has to do is give me that look and I want to gather him in my arms and kiss him better._

Stanley didn't do it, of course, but he went very quiet as he struggled with himself. Louis sounded perfectly sincere and he wanted to believe him, he did believe him, but he couldn't just let go of everything that had happened between them. So he didn't say anything...he continued to walk with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ground. Louis kept glancing at him every now and then. He ran his eyes appreciatively over him a couple of times and then he looked at Stanley’s face and his eyes and his lips...and Stanley noticed and he blushed. It was a sight that encouraged Louis stare even more openly and it gave him the courage to ask the question...

"Stan, will you give me another chance? Please."

There was no way Stanley was going to say no to that. "Yeah," he said softly, "I will, but...ah, could we...maybe try being friends first? I'm not sure I'm ready for anything...more just yet."

Louis had hoped for more, but he'd also been afraid that Stanley wouldn't so much as talk to him forget give him another chance, so he was more than willing to take anything he could get.

"Friends is good. I can do that. But can I just say that I’m really quite desperate to kiss you right now?" Louis said.

Stanley stared at him, feeling dangerously close to melting into a puddle of goo. _That was such a perfect_ _thing to say just then,_ he thought.Then he looked away and took a deep breath and said, "Wow...ah that's good to know."

They stood there for a few minutes and stared at each other...it was tense and awkward, but neither of them was able to look away for a while. Then Stanley glanced at his watch. "We should get back," he said.

"Yeah, but uh...could we meet up after school or something?" Louis asked hesitantly and in a way that Stanley couldn’t help but find adorable. 

"Okay. Where do you want to meet?"

"Someplace quiet..."

"Library?"

Louis would have preferred the room of requirement, but the library would have to do if they were only going to be friends for a while. "Okay," he said and they began to walk back to the castle.

...

James and Fred pounced on him the moment he entered Charms class. Louis hadn't even thought about what he was going to tell them until now.

"We're friends...I like him and I want to ask him out," he said.

"You want to date him?" James said.

"Yes," Louis said in a low voice as Professor Flitwick walked into the class room.

"What? Are you gay?" Fred asked. He sounded incredulous.

"Yes. No. Actually I'm not all that sure, not that it matters," Louis said coolly. He was feeling anything but cool on the inside, but he kept up the facade because that would make his friends feel a little off balance and keep them from asking too many questions...and it worked. It was not as if he wanted to hide anything, but he didn’t want to be sharing everything either.

...

Lily meanwhile was not feeling particularly happy. She hadn't spoken to Albus since the previous night. She was still a bit upset with him, but she was no longer angry. She still had a lot of the captain's anxiety at losing a good player, but what bothered her most was being at odds with her brother. She and Albus had always been close...she couldn't even remember the last time that they'd fought. And to see him keep so entirely to himself was a bit painful. And she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about the way they had all ganged up on him the previous night.

So she was thoughtful as she made her way to the great hall for lunch. Jeremy had been watching her since breakfast, the way he'd been doing almost every day lately, so he knew that she had something on her mind when he caught up with her in the entrance hall.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," she replied without really looking at him.

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I'm a bit distracted today."

"I hope I'm not being impertinent, but is this about Albus?" He asked.

"Oh! So you know."

"Yeah...things get around rather quickly here."

"Hmmm..."

"So...you're upset."

"Wouldn't you be, if you were the captain and Wood had just told you that he doesn't want to play for you anymore?"

"Yes, I would be upset. But that's not what's bothering you is it? You're upset because you fought with your brother."

Lily was surprised. "How do you know that?"

"Intelligent guess...Why don't you go and make up?"

"Even though he refuses to play for me?" Lily said a bit petulantly. Jeremy smiled...he found her petulance rather cute.

"That's not something you can force him to do now, can you?”

"No and more's the pity. I can't seem to get anyone to do what I want these days," she said with a pout.

Jeremy chuckled. "Really? Who else has been defying your highness?"

"Oh shut up!" She said as they walked into the great hall together.

She saw Albus immediately. He was sitting with Scorpius as usual and he seemed normal on the surface, but she could see that he’d withdrawn into himself...that was what he did when he got hurt.

“There he is...go talk to him. I’m sure he has his reasons, even if you can’t understand them,” Jeremy said.

“I know...thanks,” she said and she turned to go.

 “Lily,” he said and she turned around.

“I...um, we were supposed to be meeting for the project today.”

“Yeah. I remember.  I’ll meet you in the library after school.”

“Okay,” he said and then he turned and made his way to the Slytherin table. He was finding it harder and harder to keep things at friendship between them. Lily had somehow wormed her way into his life and now she was all he could think about. He’d been watching her intently for the last several days and he’d noticed that she didn’t seemed to be flirting anymore. It used to be fairly common to see her walking down the corridors with a bunch of guys around her, but now she seemed to be quite resolutely hanging out only with her friends and family.

_I can’t be because of me_ , he thought... _can it?_

_..._

Albus was surprised to see Lily walking up to him. She took the seat next to him and said, “I don’t want to fight with you, Al. I love you too much.”

This was what Albus loved about her. She was endearingly child like in her honesty. “I love you too, Lil and I’ve been miserable since last night.”

“You made me so angry! But we shouldn’t have ganged up on you like that. It wasn’t fair. Sorry.”

“Well, I did spring it on you out of nowhere. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.”

I’m glad you’ve come around, Lil. I was afraid it would take a few days.”

“Like I had a choice! Do you know how awful it is to not be talking to you? I couldn’t stand it.”

“So am I forgiven?”

“Yes. I don’t understand your reasons, but I get that you really want to do this. So fine! Quit the team, but if we lose to the Ravenclaws, I swear I’ll come after you.”

“You won’t lose. They’re a terrible team this year.”

Scorpius watched this exchange with a smile. _Lily is a lot more sensible than she looks,_ he thought as he watched the brother and sister share a laugh.

“What’s going on with you and Jamie?” Lily said after a while.

“He’s being his usual charming self.”

“Hmmm...Ignore him. Either he comes around or he doesn’t. It’s really not worth worrying about.”

 

 

 


	40. Chapter 40

Albus and Scorpius were in potions class. It was the last class of the day and the term. They were due to start their Christmas break the next day and neither of them was looking forward to it. The class ended and they stayed back to help Draco put away all the equipment and the supplies. Then they left and they walked through the corridors and up the steps in silence. Scorpius reached for Albus and held his hand. Neither of them said a word, but they both knew that they were thinking about the same thing...they were wondering how they were going to get through the Christmas break. They'd got used to being with each other nearly all the time and even when they weren't together they were within reach. How were they going to manage to be separated for twenty days with no idea when or how often they were going to be able to meet?

They kept walking up the stairs until they got to the seventh floor and walked into the room of requirement. They hadn't used it for a while, but it still looked the same as it had a couple of weeks ago...They walked in, shut the door and watched it disappear. Then they tossed their bags aside and reached for each other. Albus put his arms around Scorpius' waist and pulled him close. Scorpius put his arms around Albus' neck and reached up to kiss him.

It was a very soft kiss, full of emotion and feeling and gratitude. "I love you," Scorpius whispered. Then he kissed Albus again. "Thank you," he said this time.

"What for?" Albus whispered as he nuzzled against Scorpius' neck.

"Everything," Scorpius whispered as he tipped his head back. "Two months ago I thought you would never take a second look at me and I was doing everything I could to get over you and failing miserably. And now...I love you, Al and I can't believe that you love me."

"Hey, I should be the one saying that...I feel so incredibly lucky. I really don't know what I would do without you, Scor. I didn't have much of a life before I met you, so thank you," Albus said.

He stepped back a bit and they looked at each other in silence for a couple of minutes and then they reached for each other again and kissed, passionately this time as they began to feel overwhelmed by their need to be close. They made their way to the bed as they continued to kiss and they began to undress each other, getting more and more desperate as they went. Finally they were in bed and able to touch and kiss and be as close as they wanted. Scorpius lay on his back with Albus on top of him and he moaned as Albus kissed him on his neck and his shoulder and his chest...

Albus thought that had to be the sweetest sound in the world as he kissed his way down his boyfriend's body...and then he stopped and took Scorpius in his mouth as Scorpius moaned again and nearly arched of the bed. Albus was in heaven as he continued to pleasure the boy he loved so very much. Scorpius took as much of this as he could and then he flipped them and now it was Albus' turn to moan and grip the sheets as Scorpius skilfully made him unravel.

They had done all of this before, but there was something driving them today, something more potent than desire...the thought of the coming separation and the realisation that they wouldn't be able to see each whenever they wanted, had made them really focus on their feelings for each other and they were a bit overwhelmed by what they saw and felt and they were desperate to express all of that. So they made love...it was somehow gentle and tender, fierce and wanton all at the same time.

They stayed in bed for hours after that, holding on to each other and talking, saying everything that they knew, but needed to say anyway.

...

Lily and Jeremy met in the library after school and they got to work, writing out the last few pages of their project. They worked in silence because this was the last chance they had to get it all done and they wanted to do everything right. A couple of hours later, they finished. They put it all together and went through it one last time.

"It's done," Lily said. She tried, but she couldn't keep the regret out of her voice. The project had provided them with a reason to meet, without her having to actually come out and say that she wanted to hang out with Jeremy. They would still be meeting in January to actually make the potion, but they would only be required to meet twice. So what was going to happen to this fledgling friendship of theirs?

Jeremy was thinking the same things that she was and he was wondering how to tell her that he very much wanted to keep seeing her. He was more than a little tempted to ask her out right then, but then he considered how volatile things had been between them and he decided that it was perhaps best to wait until after the holidays to take that particular step.

"I'm going to miss you," he said, thinking that he could risk a little honesty.

Lily was very surprised and it showed. "I'm going to miss you too. Maybe we could..." She said and then she stopped.

"We could what?"

"Nothing. Just a silly thought."

"Hmmm...Do you think we could meet up in the holidays?" Jeremy asked hesitantly. He was quite unsure of her reaction.

That was the very thing that Lily had been about to ask, so she was more than a little gratified as she smiled and nodded.

"I'll write to you," he said.

"I'd like that. Well, good night," she said with a shy smile, as she got up to leave.

That smile made his stomach flutter in a way that was somehow pleasant and disconcerting at the same time. "Good night, sweetheart," he said and then he flushed wondering when he had lost control over his mouth.

Lily blushed a little and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too much.

"Um...sorry," he said.

"It's okay," she said and then she got up and walked away, leaving him staring after her.

...

Louis and Stanley were also in the library. Louis was sitting a couple of feet away from Stanley, across the table from him, in fact, hating the distance, hating that he wasn't able to hold or touch Stanley the way he would've liked.  _But it is my own damn fault that Stan isn't comfortable being close to me,_  he thought as he mentally kicked himself. He had no idea that Stanley hated the distance too. It would've been so easy to reach across the table and pull Louis into a kiss and forget all about this friends business, but he couldn't do that.

The last time around, their relationship had begun with attraction and desire and they had jumped into the physical side of it without properly getting to know each other or taking the time to really know how they felt...so their relationship had been almost entirely physical. No sharing of feelings, hardly any sharing of thoughts and ideas and it had been disastrous.  _That is not_   _going to happen this time,_  Stanley thought.  _We're going to talk and get to know each other and learn to share ourselves and our lives before we do anything else. If this is a second chance, we're going to get it right. We're going to build something solid and real before we jump into bed._

He didn't say any of this to Louis. He stuck to what he'd told him about wanting to be friends because he wasn't ready for anything else...though that was true as well, if only a little bit. They spent a few hours in the library talking about a lot of different things and they began to connect and all those feelings of pain and guilt and awkwardness slowly began to go away. They went to dinner together though they ate at separate tables. But they got together again right after dinner, both very aware of the fact that it would be a good twenty days before they saw each other again.

They went to an abandoned classroom this time...it was the one they used to meet in most frequently when they had been together the last time. Going in there made things a bit awkward, but they got over it and they stayed there for hours, just talking. Neither of them wanted to leave. It was well past curfew when they finally decided that they had to go to bed. They walked up to the door and stood there looking at each other for a moment and then Stanley impulsively reached up and kissed Louis on his cheek. "Good night," he said and then he left quickly, but not before he saw the happy smile that broke out on Louis face in response.

...

Draco closed his office and walked into his rooms with a sigh of relief and a glow of satisfaction that always accompanied the end of a term. It had been a very eventful term for him personally and while he was aware that the days and weeks to come could prove to be difficult, he was looking forward to them anyway. He walked into his bedroom to change and he saw Harry's auror robes hung up in his closet and he smiled. He loved to see all these little bits of evidence that they were together, the small signs of domesticity that he knew he would miss acutely in the next twenty days when they would either have to stay away from each other or meet in secret and hope that no one found out.

It was hardly an auspicious beginning to a romantic relationship as Harry pointed out rather apologetically every day, but Draco really didn't care. He wanted Harry and now he had him and he wasn't about to complain about anything. He took a shower and got changed and waited for Harry who was in the head mistress' office. Dumbledore had wasted no time in telling Professor McGonagall that Harry might be interested in teaching Defence and she had wasted no time in sending him an owl and asking him to come meet her. Harry had thought about this all of the previous night and he'd woken up thinking,  _why not? I don't like my job_  anyway.  _So why not try_   _something different? I may fall flat on my face, but that's an experience too, isn't it? Better than sitting at a_   _desk and stewing all day._

So he went to meet her and they talked and he agreed to come back to Hogwarts, the first real home that he had ever known. It was almost as if his life was coming full circle. Professor McGonagall was very happy. Harry was her favourite student and she knew that he would make a wonderful teacher because he had rare gift...a gift for inspiring people and making them believe that they could do impossible things if they tried. "A real asset in a teacher," she said. Harry protested, but he couldn't help but feel a small bit of pride at those words. They meant a lot to him because he had a great deal of respect for Professor McGonagall and it felt good to think that he could be doing something worthwhile again. Some people would argue that being an auror was something worthwhile, but Harry had spent so much time in the last few years pushing paper and sitting in meetings that he no longer felt like what he did made a difference...to anyone.

Harry stepped out of McGonagall's office and wondered at himself. Just a week ago he'd finally decided to end his long dead marriage and he was already contemplating another major change in his life. For years he'd gone on living a life that he didn't care all that much about, being mostly unhappy and doing nothing about it because he had somehow convinced himself that that was the way his life was going to be, that he had no choice and that in the end, it didn't really matter. And now suddenly he wanted to be happy, he believed that he had a right to be and...

"Thank you," he said as soon as Draco opened the door for him.

Harry stepped in, closed the door, gathered Draco into a hug and said, "thank you," again.

"What for?"

_For shaking me out of my stupor, for waking me up and telling me that I need to start living my life and for making me feel so damn special,_ Harry he didn't say any of that _._

_"_ Just...thank you," he said again.

"You're very very welcome," Draco said softly as he pulled back a little, cupped Harry's face in his hands and kissed him softly. "I'm glad you decided to take this job. You're going to love it."

"I don't doubt that, but I'm not...like you," Harry said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean am not academically inclined. I'm smart in my own way, but I was never studious and don't you have to be, if you're going to be a teacher?"

"It helps to be fond of academics, certainly, but it's not a requirement. Particularly when you're teaching something as practical as Defence. Besides, what makes you think you're not academically inclined?"

"The fact that I barely studied when I was at school?"

"That proves nothing, particularly in your case. You were too busy dodging Voldermort to have the time to study. Relax Harry, you're going to be fine."

"I hope so," Harry said as he took of his robe and kicked off his shoes. He sat down on the couch and stretched.

"This is our last evening together for a while," Draco said as he sat down next to Harry.

"I know," Harry said as he put his arm around Draco and pulled him close. "Any idea on what we can do to make it special?"

"Oh I have plenty of ideas," Draco said as he drew Harry in to a kiss. Soon they were stretched out on that couch snogging passionately...it was a long time before they were able to stop.


	41. Chapter 41

It was the morning of the next day. Harry and Draco woke up early just so they could have a couple of quiet hours together before they had to go their separate ways. Draco was one of the teachers who was going to be accompanying the students on the train to London. He and Scorpius were going to go to Diagon Alley from Kings Cross Station and apparate to Wiltshire from there. Harry had been staying at Hogwarts for the last couple of days, so he had to go home and get the house ready for his kids. He was going to leave right after breakfast...

It was a difficult moment for the two of them. The last few days had felt a bit like stolen time, a time in which they had been able to ignore the real world and exist in a happy little bubble of their own creation. But now they had to face the hard reality of having to keep their relationship under wraps, which meant that they had to be very careful about when and how they met and what they said to people and to each other when there was someone watching...And if anyone found out, this whole thing could blow up in their faces and get very ugly indeed.

"But I don't want to think about that," Harry said as he was getting ready to leave. "We'll deal with it if it happens, but there's nothing wrong about us being together and I'm not about to feel bad about it."

"I am going to miss you acutely, Harry."

"I'm going to miss you too. If we can somehow get through the next couple of months..." Harry said and then he sighed.

"We will," Draco said and then he drew Harry to him and held him tight. Harry closed his eyes and held on as he tried to absorb everything about this moment. He had a feeling that it would be the last moment of peace and unsullied happiness for a while.

And then he had to leave. They kissed one last time and Harry stepped through the floo and walked into his home and tried to get ready to face what he knew would be the toughest days of his life.  _Fighting Voldermort was easier than this,_  he thought as he found himself worrying about his kids' reaction to the news of the divorce and to news that he was in a relationship with Draco and... _Everything in my life is just so complicated right now. I wonder if there'll ever be a time when things are quiet and normal and I can just be happy without worrying about what someone is thinking or feeling all the time,_ he thought as he went through the house, dusting and cleaning and getting everything ready for his kids to come home.

A few hours went by and then it was time to go to London and meet his kids as they got off the train. Harry apparated out of his house and into Diagon Alley where he met Ron and Hermione. They went through the Leaky Cauldron and walked to Kings Cross Station and through the barrier to platform 9 ¾. They were a little early, so they waited on the platform and talked and mingled with the other parents. Harry saw Oliver Wood and his wife come through the barrier and he went to greet his former captain. They shook hands and talked about their children. Harry had plenty to say about Stanley and how well he'd played in that match a few days ago. It was obvious from Oliver's reaction that he was very proud of his son.

Bill and Fleur Weasley were the next to join them. There were a lot of hugs and handshakes and then Bill noticed that Ginny was absent and he didn't seem too pleased to hear that she was out of the country. He and Fleur had heard about the divorce, of course and Bill had been hoping to talk Harry and Ginny out of it, but that was hard to do when his sister kept doing the very thing that her husband said was the biggest problem in their marriage. So he didn't say anything, hoping that he would find some time with Ginny over the holiday to try and talk some sense into her. He believed, like everyone else in the family that Harry was the best person in the world for Ginny and that she was a fool to even think of letting him go. George and Angelina were the next to arrive and the family picture was complete, just as the train rolled into the station.

Albus and Scorpius were in a compartment at the back with Frank and Rose. Lily had been with them for a while but then she'd gone off to find her friends. Stan was sitting with Ellie, Claire and Carlo, while Louis was in a compartment up front with Fred and James. Neither of them was particularly happy about the situation but they couldn't keep ditching their friends all the time. So they sat in separate compartments, paid no attention at all to the conversations around them and thought about each other the whole time. Jeremy had been sitting with his friends as well, but he ran into Lily in the corridor about half way through the journey and they sneaked off to a compartment up front and spent the rest of the journey talking about a lot of different things...that neither of them really paid attention to because they spent most of that time looking wistfully at each other...and trying to hide it.

Finally the train came to a stop and they picked up their trunks and got ready to get off the train. Scorpius drew Albus into a hug and held him like he didn't want to let go.

"I love you," Albus said.

"I love you too."

"I'll come see you as soon as I can," Albus said.

"I'll wait."

Rose and Frank were saying their own goodbyes, but things were easier for them, because both their families knew about them and they all approved of their relationship and they knew that they would be able to see each other every day of the holidays if they wanted. Albus was happy for them, but he felt just a tiny bit envious. He wondered if his mother had come to the station...she came whenever she could, but that was not very often, so he was really only expecting to see his dad. They got off the train and saw Draco talking to Neville Longbottom as they walked the length of the train trying to make sure that all the students had made if off the train and helping the few, first years mostly, who seemed to be having trouble with their trunks.

Albus saw his dad standing with all of his uncles and aunts. There was a time when he might have said his goodbye to Scorpius right there and walked away for fear of raising uncomfortable questions. But the last couple of months had changed him.

He took Scorpius' hand in his. "I want you to come with me and meet my family," he said firmly.

Scorpius was surprised and a bit reluctant but he couldn't say no...not when Albus was trying to assert himself. Harry was watching and he was glad that Albus had taken the lead like that. Ron saw them too.

"What's going on there?" He said.

"What do you mean?" Harry knew exactly what Ron meant but he wasn't about to make anything easy for him.

"Why is Al with that Malfoy boy and why are they holding hands?"

"Stop calling him the Malfoy boy. His name is Scorpius...and they're holding hands because they're a couple."

"A couple? Al is gay?"

"He's bi. Not that it is any of your business."

"And he's with that...I mean Scorpius?"

"Yes. They've been together a couple of months now."

"And you're okay with it?"

"I'm not just okay with it. I'm very happy about it. Scorpius is a wonderful kid. Now If you will excuse me," Harry said and made his way over to meet the two boys.

He met them halfway and hugged them both. "I'm so glad to see you again, Scorpius," He said. Scorpius was somewhat reassured both by the hug and the warmth of Harry's greeting. He realised that Harry was trying to make it obvious to the rest of the family that he was genuinely fond of his son's boyfriend.

"I hope you'll come over often during this holiday," Harry continued. "I'd really like to have a chance to get to know you better."

"Yes, Mr Potter, of course," Scorpius said.

Then Harry took Scorpius around and introduced him to everyone in the family as Al's boyfriend. It was obvious that they were all very surprised, but they really couldn't do anything other than smile and nod and shake hands. Ron went red in the face and he had to struggle to keep his cool. George didn't seem to be particularly concerned and Bill looked like he didn't know what to say.

Louis and Stanley were among the last to get off the train. They'd hung back so they could get rid of their friends and then they stood in the corridor and looked nervously at each other.

"I'll miss you," Louis said.

"I'll miss you too," Stanley said and then he looked at his feet and then he looked up feeling very unsure about what to do exactly.

Louis was in almost the same situation, though he was better at hiding it. "I'll write to you and maybe we can meet sometime..."

"Yeah," Stanley said and then he impulsively put his arms around Louis and held him tight. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get off the train if he didn't get to hold Louis for a bit. Louis let out a happy sigh and wrapped himself around Stanley.  _Thank Merlin!_  He thought. They let go of each other after a minute and decided that they had better get off the train before someone came looking for them. They got off and they saw their families and they took one last look at each other before walking away.

Once Draco made sure that everyone was safely off the train, he came looking for Scorpius and found him standing among a crowd of Weasleys. Draco was a bit uncomfortable being there, so he stood aside and waited. Harry saw him and they both had to struggle not to smile too happily at each other. They shook hands and tried to convey the impression of two people who were friends, but just barely. Then they all began to make their way off the platform, stepping out of the barrier in twos and threes until Harry and Draco were the only ones left. They hadn't planned it that way, but clearly someone was looking out for them. They practically fell into each other's arms the moment they realised that they were alone.

"I'm really going to miss you," Draco said.

"I'm going to miss you too," Harry said.

"Harry, I need you to remember that you're not alone. You don't have to deal with anything on your own. Promise me that you will come to me if things get too difficult."

"Draco..."

"Promise me," Draco insisted.

"Okay. I promise."

They stood there holding each other for another couple of minutes and then they separated and walked through the barrier and went to find their kids.

"Does Ginny know that Al is with Malfoy's son?" Ron said as soon as he caught up with Harry.

"No. She was supposed to find out today, along with the rest of you, but she chose not to be here."

"You've been keeping this a secret."

"At my son's request, yes."

"That's not fair of you Harry. My sister has a right to know what's happening with her children."

"Not if they themselves do not want to tell her."

"But Harry..."

"I don't mean to be rude, Ron, but this is none of your business. Al didn't want to tell his mother, so he didn't. It's his life and his choice. So just drop it, alright."

"You know she won't like it."

"Yes, I do and I honestly don't think I care," Harry said in a tone that made it very clear that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. And then he walked away.

All the kids were standing just outside the station and waiting for the adults to catch up. They had all shrunk their trunks before exiting the platform and they were now standing with their friends and making plans for the holidays. Bill came up to Harry as soon as he stepped out of the station and joined his children.

"You are coming over to The Burrow for dinner, aren't you?" He asked.

"Um...no, actually. I'd rather go home," Harry said.

"Look Harry, just because Ginny isn't here..."

"It's not about that, Bill. I just need an evening alone with my kids. We have quite a bit of catching up to do."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure. Thanks for asking," Harry said.

"Why aren't we going to The Burrow?" James said. Harry didn't miss the slightly combative tone in his son's voice.

"Because I want a quiet evening at home with the three of you," Harry repeated.

"Why?"

"I don't think I need have a reason to want to spend time with my children," Harry said mildly.

"I want to go Grandma's with Lou and Fred," James said.

"I understand that. But no," Harry said firmly.

"Why?" It was obvious that James was getting exasperated.

"Because it's been several months since you and I spent an evening together, Jamie and I want to rectify that," Harry said in a tone that though mild, made it obvious that he wasn't about to tolerate any more arguments and then he turned and started walking down the road, leaving his kids no choice but to follow.

 


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter begins on the same day as the previous chapter. It is Wednesday the 16th of December and Christmas break has just started. Albus' birthday is on Friday the 18th of December, two days away from this point in the story.

It was a couple of hours later. Harry and his kids had got home a while ago and they had all settled in. Harry was in the kitchen, cooking dinner with Lily and Albus, while James was up in his room, sulking. Harry was a little irritated about that, but he let him be, because he wanted to talk to his other two children first.

"Okay you two, tell me what's going on. Why is Jamie not talking to either of you?"

Albus explained and then Lily said, "Now he's mad at me because I made up with Albus. I swear, dad, I don't understand him."

Harry thought about everything that his kids had told him and he began to understand why James was behaving the way he was. It reminded him very much of Ron and his absolute inability to accept change and his tendency to lash out when things got uncomfortable or difficult. It was not a deliberate attempt to be mean and it certainly was not because James was mean by nature. It was a combination of thick headedness, an inability to deal with change and a certain childishness...It could be aggravating, but Harry had known Ron for thirty years and he knew that underneath all that was a very loyal friend, who may lash out and behave stupidly when it came to the little things, but who invariably came through when it really mattered.  _Jamie is exactly like that,_  Harry thought.

So he decided that it would be best to try and carry on as if everything was normal. He would have to speak to James about his attitude, but it didn't have to be on the very evening that he'd come home. James had already made it clear that being at home with his family was the last thing that he wanted. Confronting him now would only make that feeling stronger and push him further away. When dinner was cooked and ready, Harry called Lily and Albus over to him.

"Look you guys, let's just be normal, okay," he said. "Pretend that everything is fine. Let's have dinner, let's talk and let's include Jamie in the conversation. Whether he wants to talk to us or not is his choice, but let's not leave him out. I know that the two of you have some very good reasons to be resentful and angry, but put those feelings aside for a while, alright. He already feels as if it's the three of us against him. Let's not do anything to reinforce that feeling. We're family and that means we accept each other and forgive each other...I think we need to show Jamie that. If only to teach him a lesson..."

"Hmmm...If we're nice to him, it'll make him feel even worse about the way he's been treating us...I like it," Lily said.

"I could confront him," Harry said. "And we could have a big ugly fight, but I'd rather show him that we have no problem with him and that it is he who needs to grow up a little."

"Very Slytherin of you dad," Albus said. "I can see what the sorting hat was thinking."

Harry smiled. "I just want to make a point without hitting him on the head with it and making him feel bad," he said.

Harry went upstairs to find his son. James was in his bedroom, sitting by the window and looking out at the village with a frown on his face. It was obvious that he wasn't feeling particularly happy. He looked up when Harry knocked on the door and entered.

"Dinner's ready Jamie. Come on down," Harry said cheerfully.

"I'm not hungry," James said shortly.

"Fine. Don't eat. But come downstairs anyway."

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you. That's why."

"Why do you want to talk to me?"

"I'm your dad. I don't need a reason to talk to you."

"Are you going to lecture me about the way I've been treating Al?"

"No," Harry said and then he walked into the room and sat down next to his son. "I just wanted us to catch up. You've been a bit distant lately and so have I, for that matter. I got caught up in work and I almost didn't spend any time with you in the summer and I haven't been writing to you...You haven't written to me either, but I didn't even ask you why. I'm really sorry about that...I've missed you, Jamie and I just want to talk."

James was very surprised. This was pretty much the last thing that he had expected to hear from his father. He was caught off guard and he had no idea how to react. "Um...I'm sorry I haven't been writing to you," he said finally.

"It's okay. You're here now. So let's catch up," Harry said and then he held out his hand.

James took it, feeling a bit relieved as he did so. He'd expected his dad to come down heavily on him considering the way he'd been treating his siblings lately. James had been angry with Albus and he'd felt justified in his anger, but he knew that he shouldn't have said some of the things that he had and that as the older brother he should have been a little less combative, perhaps. But he couldn't help feeling that he was losing his brother. Al's quitting the team had hit him hard. Quidditch was one of the few interests that they shared and to have Al say that he wasn't interested in playing had been difficult to accept.

So he'd been mean and he'd hurt his brother. It was not something he'd wanted to do, but he'd ended up doing it anyway. And then Lily and Albus had made up and that had made him feel worse and irrational as it was, it felt like they were ganging up against him, like they didn't need him anymore. He'd fully expected his dad to take their side as well and that had made him resentful. It had felt as if no one was making an attempt to understand him or trying to figure out why he was behaving the way he was. Lily and Albus seemed to assume that he was basically mean and leave it at that...At least that's how he saw it. So having his father actually be nice and so obviously accepting of everything was a bit of a shock and it completely threw him.

"I didn't think you cared, dad," James said abruptly when they stepped out of his bedroom.

Harry sighed. "It's my fault if you thought that and I'm really very sorry. I haven't been much of a dad lately, I know. And I want to fix that. That's why I didn't want us to go to your Gran's tonight. I wanted to have you guys all to myself...It's been a long time since it was just us."

"Yeah," James said and then they went downstairs. "And I'm sorry, I..."

"It's okay, son. I understand," Harry said as he squeezed his hand and James felt like a kid all over again, like he had someone to look out for him and help him when he stumbled and made mistakes. Someone who would love him no matter what. It was a feeling that he hadn't had for a while. He turned around and impulsively hugged his dad. Harry was relieved, but he also felt very guilty for having neglected his son, who though the oldest, clearly needed him the most.

James felt a bit sheepish as he walked into the dining room with his dad. He didn't expect either of his siblings to talk to him. He knew that he would have to apologise and try to fix things with them. So he was very surprised when Albus greeted him with a smile and handed him a bunch of plates. "Help me with this, will you?" He said as he proceeded to set the table.

"Um...Sure," James said.

They sat down to dinner and it was a bit stiff at first, despite the fact that Albus and Lily were doing all they could to act normal. But things warmed up after a while and then they were talking, swapping stories and poking fun at each other, trading jibes and laughing like they used to when they were younger. Harry was glad. He still had no idea what was really going on with James and he would have to have a serious conversation with his son one of these days, but at least they'd managed to make things work on the first evening back home...they'd managed to put their differences aside and just be a family for a while. But most of all, he was glad that he'd reached out to his son and that his son had responded...

Harry lay awake a long time that night thinking about his life and all the complications that he wished would just go away. He thought about the evening that they'd had and he wished Ginny had been there.  _If only she knew what she's missing out on_ , he thought. And then it struck him that none of his kids had had anything much to say about their mother beyond a cursory inquiry into her whereabouts. It was obvious that none of them had really expected to see her.  _And that is just sad,_  he thought as he finally fell asleep.

...

The next day was a busy one for all of them. Albus' birthday was just a day away and there was a lot of shopping to do and preparations to make. James offered to help his dad. It was his way of making amends...Albus understood and he was relieved. He wasn't naive enough to think that all is problems with his brother had just disappeared but he appreciated the fact that James was trying to put all of that aside for a while and making an attempt to get along.

Albus really didn't want the big party that was being planned for his birthday. He would have preferred to have a quiet evening at home with his boyfriend, his family and a few close friends. But he knew that that was a battle that it was best not to get into. He was a Weasley and Weasleys look for the tiniest occasion to get the family together and celebrate. A birthday was significant enough for them and this was his seventeenth birthday so it had to be huge. Everyone had to be invited and they had to make a big deal out of it.

Albus had to go to Diagon Alley around mid morning to get fitted for his new robes. James offered to go along with him while Lily and her dad went to the bakery and the caterers. The fitting took over two hours. Albus was bored sick by the time they got out. He wanted to go home, he wanted to go see Scorpius, he wanted wrap himself around his boyfriend and spend a few quiet hours talking and cuddling...but there were too many other things demanding his attention. He knew that he would see Scorpius the next day, but that would be at the party, among a crowd of people and while it was still a chance to see him, it was nowhere near good enough.

...

Scorpius meanwhile, had buried himself in his art. He knew that Albus would be busy and that they would not be able to see each other until the next day. He'd been making a few of his own plans for Albus' birthday, but now that it was here, he found that he wasn't really looking forward to it. The thought of being at that party, surrounded by all of Albus' family with no real ally other than Rose and maybe Lily, to some extent, was daunting.

It was midmorning...around the time that Albus and James were stepping out of the floo at the Leaky Cauldron and making their way to Albus' fitting when Scorpius looked up from his work to see an owl perched on his window sill, looking at him curiously. He recognised her immediately...It was Lana, Albus' owl. She flew in as soon as he opened the window and she perched on his shoulder and stuck her leg out, offering him the letter. He took it and then he offered her a couple of owl treats which she accepted happily.

She stayed on his shoulder as he opened the letter. It began without any salutation.  _Typical Al,_  Scorpius thought as he began to read.

_I love you so very much and I cannot tell you how much I miss you. It's been less than a day since I saw you and already I feel off kilter and out of sorts...almost like a part of me is missing. I need you, Scor...you are necessary to my happiness. This is the sort of dependence that I never expected to develop, considering how self sufficient I've always been. It should make me uncomfortable, but it doesn't...maybe because I know that you need me too. I love you and I love this relationship that we've built. I love knowing that I belong to you..._

_Things are really busy here and I'm heartily sick of all these preparations for the huge birthday party that I honestly don't want. Dad isn't too keen on it either, but it's my seventeenth birthday and the entire family will want to be here...so we have to do this. I hate that I can't get away and come see you. But I'm trying to put up with it as best I can._

_I love you and I can't wait to see you...you're my sunshine, Scor._

Scorpius sighed when he finished reading the letter. "Do you know how wonderful Al is?" He said to Lana and she hooted like she was agreeing with him. And then she rubbed her head against his cheek. He smiled. "You're wonderful too," he said as he gently stroked her. Then he went to his table, got out some parchment and started writing a reply.

...

**A/N: And now it is time to leave me a review:-)**

 


	43. Chapter 43

It was evening by the time James and Albus got back home. Harry and Lily were still out. They walked in through the floo and deposited their packages on the couch.

"Do you want some coffee?" Albus said.

"Sure."

Albus walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on. James joined him a few minutes later. It was obvious from his manner that he wanted to say something.

"Did you um...know that Lou wanted to ask Wood out?" James asked.

"A few days before you..."

"So he came to you for advice."

"Only natural, I suppose, considering his situation."

"So he and Wood are dating now?"

"Yeah."

"Did you know that Lou is gay?" James asked.

"No. Not until he told me. And I don't think he's gay, really, come to think of it. He says he's never looked at any guy like that other than Stanley. So it could be just him. That happens sometimes."

"What about you? Is it only Malfoy or..."

Albus was very surprised by that question. That bit about Louis he'd put down to curiosity, but this question could only have been prompted by a genuine desire to know.

"I used to look at both boys and girls, though I was strangely unaware of it. I think I'm a bit like dad in that respect you know, oblivious. But I was never genuinely attracted to anyone until Scor..."

"I guess that makes it really special," James said softly.

"It does..."

"So you're serious about him..."

"Yes. I'm very serious about him," Albus said. He wondered where James was going with all this.  _Why all the questions_ , he thought as he poured out the coffee and handed it to his brother. They sat at the kitchen table and drank their coffees in silence as they each sought about for something to say.

"I'm sorry," James said finally.

"What for?"

"I've been unfair to you and Malfoy...Scorpius. I have no business judging someone I don't know."

Albus was very surprised. "Um...I wasn't expecting that," he said.

"I know," James said calmly and then he finished his coffee and walked out of the kitchen leaving Albus staring after him in a thoughtful silence.

**...**

Harry and Lily got home about an hour later. They were tired and hungry but no one was in the mood to cook. Luckily for them, Hermione had anticipated this and she and Ron brought dinner over. Rose and Hugo came along as well and soon they were gathered around the dining table, talking and making plans for the party the next day...at least Hermione was. She made plans and gave instructions while Harry and Ron listened, trying hard not to roll their eyes or make jokes. It was all very reminiscent of their school days.

They finished dinner and started clearing up while the kids moved to the living room and settled down for a couple hours of talking and playing games. Harry had just started washing the dishes when there was a tapping on the kitchen window. It was Lana, back from her long flight to Wiltshire. He opened the window and let her in. She flew straight to Albus and dropped the letter in his lap. Then she affectionately pecked his ear and hooted softly before settling on his shoulder and going to sleep right there.

Albus' face lit up the moment he saw the letter. James was startled to see that look of pure joy on his brother's face.  _He hasn't even read the letter yet,_  he thought. Rose and Lily looked at each other and smiled. Albus and Scorpius didn't know it, but they had become something of an ideal couple for most of the girls at Hogwarts. They got wistful looks in their eyes every time they saw the two boys together. There was just something about them that said 'perfect'.

Albus got up. "Guys, I'll just..."

"Yeah we know. Go on...enjoy your letter," Lily said with a smirk.

Albus didn't see that and he didn't register what she said. He didn't register anything really. He went up the stairs to his bedroom and shut the door. He kicked off his shoes, lay down on his bed and then he opened the letter and started reading.

_I'm your sunshine huh? I like the sound of that. It reminds me of something you said on our first real date when we went to Hogsmeade. You said that you're only happy when you're warm. I like knowing that I make you happy. I love it when you smile. It was the first thing that I noticed about you. You have such a beautiful smile, love...makes me dizzy every time I see it._

_I miss you so much. You described it perfectly when you said that you feel as if a part of you is missing. It's like an ache in my heart. I'm trying to deal with it by burying myself in my work...I wish I could just drop by for an hour, if only to have you smile at me and to hold you for a little bit...But I understand that that is not possible right now._

_I love you. I am completely crazy about you and I know that I will always be. The thought of you will always make me smile, the sound of your voice will always set my heart racing, your teasing will always make me blush and you touch will always make me come alive. I don't know what I did to deserve you, love, but I intend to do everything I can to make you happy and to keep you forever. I can no longer imagine a life without you in it. I love you so very much and I really cannot wait to see you._

Albus finished reading that letter and he felt completely overwhelmed. He had tears in his eyes and he lay there staring at the ceiling and feeling like the luckiest bastard alive. He had intended to go back and join his family once he was done reading the letter, but now he found that he couldn't move and that he was really not in the mood to see or to talk to anyone. He knew that would have to endure some teasing later but he didn't really care.

It was past nine by the time Ron and Hermione left with their kids. They promised to come by early the next day and help with the preparations. James and Lily went to bed soon after. Ginny called a little after they'd left and told Harry that she would be home by mid morning the next day. Harry sat in the quiet living room for a while after that. He'd had a long day and he was tired and stressed out and he missed Draco acutely...He kept looking at the floo and wondering if he could risk it. There was no sound or movement upstairs. His kids were probably asleep.

Then he decided that he couldn't wait anymore. A couple of minutes later he was looking out of the fireplace in one of the living rooms of Malfoy Manor. Draco was over at the other side of the room, standing by the window and looking out into the cold night and feeling really lonely when he heard the one voice that he'd been waiting to hear.

"Harry!" He said as he turned around and hurried over to the fire place.

Harry stepped out of the floo and they hugged.

"Where's Scorpius?" Harry said as he looked cautiously around him.

"Up in his room. He's painting...he's been working a bit like a mad man ever since we got home."

"Hmmm...I have a plan that I need your help with, but before that I need to kiss you," Harry said.

"Come with me," Draco said as he took Harry's hand and led him into a darkened alcove in a corner of the room.

Once there, he put up a quick silencing spell and pulled Harry close and they kissed. Draco had his arms around Harry and his ran his hands up and down Harry's back delighting in the feeling of the well defined muscle and the strong body in his arms. Harry had his hands around Draco's neck and he reached up to run his fingers through that soft blond hair. He loved the way those silky strands felt... It was only two days since they'd been with each other, but somehow it felt like a lot longer. They'd missed each other quite a bit. That and the sheer unexpectedness of this meeting added to their passion. They continued to kiss as they felt their desire grow and they knew that they wouldn't be able to stop at kissing tonight. They'd wanted to take things a bit slow, but not knowing when they would be able to see each other next made them abandon caution for a bit.

Draco let his hand slide down Harry body until he was cupping him. Harry moaned and arched into the touch which became surer and firmer as Draco's confidence grew. Harry found himself reciprocating. Neither of them was quite able to believe just how intense and wonderful it felt as they continued to kiss and touch and stroke and caress until they fell into each other's arms feeling utterly spent. They sank to the floor because their legs wouldn't support them anymore. They sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. Harry had his arm around Draco while Draco lay with his head resting on Harry's shoulder as they came down from the crazy high that their need for each other had led them to and they kissed softly, trying to hold on to the preciousness of that moment.

"I wish I could see your face," Draco said softly as he tried to picture what Harry must look like right now.

"I wish I could see you too...But I can imagine how gorgeous you must look," Harry said, "with your hair all dishevelled, your cheeks flushed and your lips red and swollen...Merlin! Draco, just the thought of you like that makes me want you all over again."

Those words made Draco snuggle even closer. It was a while before either of them felt sensible enough to talk about the plan that Harry had alluded to earlier.

**...**

It was nearly twelve 'o' clock. Albus lay on his side and stared at the clock, wishing desperately that he could be with Scorpius. A couple of minutes passed and the date changed. It was the 18th of December and Albus was now officially an adult wizard. About half a minute later, he heard the door being pushed open softly. He assumed that it was his dad. He turned around and got the best surprise of his life. It was Scorpius, standing just inside the door with a shy little smile on his face.

"Happy birthday," he said softly and then he quickly shut the door and locked it.

Albus was stunned. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Scor! What? How?" He began as he quickly got up and off the bed. Two strides and he was in the middle of his room facing Scorpius who continued to smile shyly up at him.

"Happy birthday," Scorpius said again as he drew Albus close and held him tight.

Albus sighed happily and relaxed into that hug. "What's going on? How are you here?" He said after a minute.

Scorpius pulled away a bit so he could look at Albus. "Our dads conspired for us," he said. "Your dad came over to the manor a while ago and sneaked me back here.

"Really? I can't believe my dad even thought of this. He's usually so oblivious," Albus said. Then he put his hand on Scorpius' face and he gently stroked his cheek, feeling the light stubble under his fingers. "Can you stay?" He asked wistfully.

"For a few hours, yeah."

"Good," Albus said as he led his boyfriend to the bed. They lay down holding each other close and kissing softly. "This is what I wanted," Albus said after a while. "Just to hold you close..."

Scorpius sighed happily as he snuggled even closer and they kissed again. Scorpius pulled away after a bit.

"It's time for your gift," he said softly as he got a small package out of his pocket.

He'd shrunk it before leaving the manor. He drew his wand and restored it to its proper size and gave it to Albus. It was obviously a painting. Albus unwrapped it eagerly...and then he saw it and he felt his breath catch as he stared at it. He was fascinated...It was a painting of him and Scorpius. They were lying in bed...on the blue satin sheets that they tended to use in the room of requirement. They were both lying under a dark blue duvet, covered up to the waist. Scorpius was lying on his back with his head turned towards Albus who was lying on his side and they were both looking at each other, Scorpius had his arm around Albus and he was holding him close while Albus had his arm on Scorpius' chest. That was the position that they chose to sleep in, every time that they were together.

The painting was charmed, the way all of Scorpius' work tended to be. Albus and Scorpius were perfectly still except for their hair which fluttered gently as if in a breeze and their eyes which shifted slightly every couple of seconds as they looked intently at each other with hint of a smile on their faces... Albus continued to stare at it. He couldn't take his eyes off Scorpius, who as always, looked utterly beautiful to him. The painting was alive with emotion and it was just very very beautiful. Albus looked up to see his boyfriend looking anxiously at him.

"I don't know what to say," Albus said. It was obvious that he was completely taken by that painting. "It's extraordinary, Scor...it's amazing and not just because it's is us that you've put down there...it is so very vivid and real and so full of emotion...the air around the painting practically vibrates with it. You've captured a moment of intimacy and joy in all its depth and detail...How?! How did you do it?"

"I used a pensieve," Scorpius said simply.

"This is the night we made love properly for the first time...this is why you asked for that memory."

"Yeah...I could see you and the room and all that in my memory but I couldn't see me and that night was so damn special, I wanted to capture it for myself as much as for you and then it struck me that it would make a good birthday gift, though it is for your eyes only."

"It's a wonderful gift, love. Thank you," Albus said as he put the painting aside and flung his arms around Scorpius and almost crushed him.

"When did you do this?" Albus asked, as he pulled away.

"I couldn't do it in school, obviously. So I started as soon as I got home. Dad was a bit surprised when I asked him for the pensieve, but he gave it to me anyway. I've lost count of the number of times I watched that memory in the last couple of days..."

"You did this in two days?" Albus was incredulous.

"Yeah. I only finished it a couple of hours ago. That's why it's not framed yet."

"Scorpius you crazy, crazy man! Do you know how much I love you?"

"I think I'm starting to have an idea," Scorpius said archly.

Albus chuckled and then he tackled Scorpius so he landed on his back and then he settled himself on top of him and proceeded to kiss him very thoroughly...

...

Albus woke up when he heard someone knocking on his door. He glanced at the clock and he saw that it was six thirty in the morning. Scorpius was still asleep. He quickly put his pyjamas on and went to the door. He opened it cautiously. It was Harry.

"Happy birthday, Al," he said softly.

"Thanks dad."

"Is Scorpius asleep?"

"Yeah. I'll wake him up," Albus said. And then he impulsively hugged his father. "Thank you so much for getting him here. I can't tell you how much it meant to me."

"I'm spending so much time and effort to throw a party that you don't even want," Harry said. "I'm doing it for the family, not for you. It's stupid that it's your birthday and you don't get to spend it the way you like. So I thought that you should get to have at least one thing that you really want. Besides, I didn't think it fair that you only get to meet your boyfriend in the middle of a crowd on your birthday, so..."

"Thank you so much," Albus said again.

"It's okay. Now go wake him up so he can leave before anyone else gets up."

"Okay. We'll be downstairs in ten minutes," Albus said as he went back into his room.

He walked up to the bed and stood there for a minute looking at Scorpius as he slept. He was lying on his back with an arm on the pillow behind his head. He had a small smile on his face. Albus leaned forward and kissed him softly.  _I can't believe I got so lucky_ , he thought as he gently shook Scorpius awake. Ten minutes later, they were both downstairs as promised. Harry was waiting by the floo. Scorpius thanked Harry and then he said his goodbyes and left. Not a minute too soon as it turned out...Harry felt a shift in the wards and Ginny apparated right into the living room.

"Harry, Al, what are you doing up so early?" She said.

 


	44. Chapter 44

"Harry, Al, what are you doing up so early?" Ginny said.

"Um...couldn't sleep," Albus said. "Too excited, I guess."  _Yeah right!_  he thought, but that was the best he could come up with just then, considering how shocked he was by his mother's sudden appearance.

Ginny accepted that statement without question and she dropped her bags and came forward to hug her son. "Happy birthday, darling," she said.

"Thanks, mum...Do you want some coffee?" He asked. He was desperate for some, considering how nervous he felt suddenly.

"Sure. But first I want to give you your gift," Ginny said and then she began rooting around in one of her bags which was really rather large and then she emerged with a broom. It was the Firebolt series 10, the fastest and the most expensive broom ever made.

Albus groaned inside his head as he suddenly felt very guilty. His mother didn't know that he'd quit the team and she'd gone and spent a lot of money and got him a broom and now would have to tell her that he had no use for it... _as if it wasn't bad enough that I have tell her about my boyfriend before he shows up at the party today..._ His mother was handing him the broom and smiling at him, certain that she had got him the perfect gift.

Albus did the only thing he could. He accepted the broom, smiled happily, hugged his mother tight and thanked her. He was as gracious as he could be.  _I really need that_   _coffee_ , he thought as Ginny made him sit down and told him everything about the broom and what it could do. He was starting to feel tense and fuzzy headed and downright miserable as he wondered how on earth he was going to tell her everything.

And then he realised that his mother had stopped talking and she was looking expectantly at him. "Wow! That's great. That's wonderful," he mumbled. He had no idea what she had been talking about for the last couple of minutes, but his response seemed to satisfy her. Harry had been listening silently all this time. He decided that it was time to give his son a break.

"I think I need that coffee now," he said as he stood up and stretched.

"Why don't you two go ahead? I'll go upstairs and dump these bags and take a quick shower. I need it quite badly," Ginny said.

"Fine," Harry said casually, though he did look at Ginny rather pointedly for a moment. They'd been using separate bedrooms ever since they decided to get divorced. Harry was trying to remind her that she had to go back to what used to be their bedroom. Ginny understood what he was trying to tell her and she responded with a slight nod before picking up her bags setting off upstairs. Harry and Albus went into the kitchen and Harry went about making the coffee while Albus sat at the table and put his head in his hands.

"It’s not as bad as you think," Harry said.

"No. It's worse," Albus said, looking miserable. "I feel so guilty about that bloody broomstick and now I have to tell mum about Scor and I know she'll make one hell of a fuss about it. And I don't know how she's going to treat him when he gets here. And as if all this wasn't enough, we're supposed to be getting ready to host a party..."

"Breathe," Harry said as he offered his son a glass of water. "Look, all you can do is tell her. How she reacts and what she does is her choice. You can't control that. I know she won't take it well, but there is no point in worrying about that. I'm here. I'm with you. So just tell her and I'll help you deal with the fall out, okay. And I'll make sure that she doesn't treat Scorpius badly when he's here. I can promise you that. Now have some coffee. It'll help you clear your brain."  Albus nodded and when his mother joined them a few minutes later, he was ready to tell her everything.

"So, how are all the preparations coming?" Ginny asked as soon as she walked into the kitchen.

"Everything's going fine," Harry said.

"Good. I'm really looking forward to the party," Ginny said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined them at the table. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help, Harry, but I'm here now and I'll make sure that everything is perfect."

"Um...thanks," Harry said, not quite knowing how to react. Then he looked pointedly at his son.

Albus nodded, took a deep breath and said, "There's something I need to tell you, mum."

"Sure honey. What is it?"

"I'm in a relationship."

Ginny's face lit up at those words. "Well that's good news. Who's the girl? Am I going to meet her today?"

Albus took another deep breath. "It's not a girl," he said.

Ginny's smile disappeared and her eyes widened. "You're in a relationship with a boy?" She sounded incredulous. "I didn't even know you're gay."

"I'm not gay," He said a little uncomfortably. "I'm bi."

"So you're choosing to be with a boy," Ginny said.

"Yes. I like him a lot. So the fact that he's a boy is completely irrelevant."

"Uh huh..." Ginny said. She looked rather taken aback.

"Please don't tell me that you're uncomfortable with the idea that I'm in a relationship with a boy, mum. I expected you to be more understanding."

"I'm not uncomfortable exactly. I'm just very surprised. I mean it's your first relationship. You haven't even tried to be with a girl...I'm just hoping it's not serious."

"What? Why?" Albus said. He was starting to feel a bit ill.

"Look I'm not homophobic or anything, alright. It's just that it is a bit of a difficult life. I have friends who are gay and they're pretty happy, but so many things are difficult for them...having children for one. And it is not something that everyone is accepting of, so why go down that path if you don't have to?"

"Because I love him, that's why."

"What?" Ginny said. "That is ridiculous. You're just seventeen and this is your first relationship. You can't be getting serious already. Particularly since you haven't even attempted to be with a girl."

"Mum! Honestly! What does that have to do with anything? I've dated. I haven't liked any of the girls that I dated...that's why nothing happened with them. How can you not understand that?"

"So what if he’s just seventeen?" Harry cut in. "I was sixteen when we got together and you were even younger...Even Ron and Hermione were only eighteen."

"That was different!"

"No it was not!" Harry retorted. "Al has found someone that he truly cares about and I don't think it matters at all that he's a boy or that it's his first relationship. Stop being ridiculous."

"Fine," Ginny said, though she was obviously offended.

None of them quite knew what to say after that and Albus was wondering how on Earth he was going to tell his mother that the boy he was with was Scorpius when Lily walked into the kitchen followed by James. They immediately sensed the tension in the atmosphere.

"What's going on?" Lily said.

"Al just told your mother about his boyfriend," Harry said.

"Ah! So mum doesn't like the idea that Al is with Scor..." Lily said.

"I...hadn't mentioned that it is Scor yet...”

"Sorry.”

"It's okay. I was going to tell her anyway," Albus said. It was obvious that he was trying hard to keep his cool.

"Who is Scor?" Ginny said, as she looked between Albus and Lily.

"Scorpius Malfoy," Albus said as calmly as he could manage, though there was a certain defiance about him that Ginny did not miss. She was stunned. It was the last thing that she had expected and she had no idea what to say.

James had been standing at the door of the kitchen until now. He walked in quietly and stood behind his brother in a very obvious show of support. Albus and Lily were both very surprised. Harry smiled and nodded approvingly at his eldest son. Lily came up and stood behind Albus as well. And Ginny started to get angry. She saw what her children were trying to say and she didn't miss the pleased look on Harry's face as he looked at his children standing together. It made Ginny feel very much like an outsider and she didn't like it one bit. Not to mention the fact that her son had just informed her that he was in love with a Malfoy.

"You're in a relationship with Scorpius Malfoy?" Ginny said as if she was trying to process that bit of information and failing.

"Yes mum. I'm in love with him."

"How long have you been together exactly?"

"Two months now."

"Don't you think that's a little too soon to be in love?" Ginny said with a calmness that was clearly forced.

"It may be for some people, but I don't think you can have rules about these things. I'm not deluded if that's what you're suggesting," Albus said. He was no longer nervous or tense. And he made no attempt to hide his defiance. This was Scorpius they were talking about and he was damned if he was going to sit around and let his mother tell him that his relationship couldn't possibly be serious.

Harry noticed the change in his son's demeanour and he smiled.  _Draco was right. Al has plenty of pluck and determination, he's just never had a reason to fight for anything so far. But Scorpius has given him that...a reason to fight and the strength to stand up for himself._

Ginny was silent for a minute. She was surprised by the defiance that Albus was not even trying to hide. He was her mildest, most cooperative child. When had he turned into this hard eyed, determined young man? And why was everyone behind this relationship? How come it seemed not to matter to any of them that Albus was involved with a Malfoy?  _It_   _doesn't matter what anyone thinks. I am not going to stand by and let my son make a foolish and potentially hurtful choice,_ Ginny decided _._ She took a deep breath and turned to Harry.

"How long have you known about this?" She asked a bit stiffly.

"Over a month now," Harry said calmly.

His calm only served to irritate her further. "And you didn't think it was necessary to tell me?"

"It was not my news to tell and Al was very clear that he didn't want you to know until he came home for the holidays and he could tell you in person."

"Hmmm...And why is that Al? How come you found it easy to tell your dad, but you couldn't tell me?"

"I knew dad would understand and I was sure that he would support me."

"And you were afraid that I wouldn't..."

"You're kind of proving that his fear was justified, mum," Lily said.

"Of course it was justified. You know what I think of the Malfoys. I can understand why Al didn't tell me...he's in love so he can't think straight. But what were you thinking Harry? How could you stand by and let our son get involved with a Malfoy?"

"I don't share your opinion of the Malfoys, Ginny and I never have," Harry said mildly. "I see no reason to object to the relationship. Besides, I've met Scorpius and I think he's a perfectly wonderful kid. Al is very lucky to have him."

"Humpf...Well, I don't agree and I honestly think you should put an end to this, Al. Some people are just trouble and both Lucius and Draco Malfoy are cruel, wicked, nasty people and I don't see why Scorpius should be any different. You stay with this boy and you will only get hurt."

Albus was staring incredulously at his mother. It hurt to hear her say all those things... _And she doesn't even know Scorpius_.  _Well I'm not going to stand for this. I don't care what she thinks._

"Do you know how prejudiced that is?" He said. "How can you decide what Scor is like without even making an attempt to get to know him, mum? And is your opinion of me so low that you think I would just fall in love with someone who is mean and selfish and not even care about that?"

"Oh I'm sure he's nice to you, so long as he gets what he wants..." Ginny said dismissively.

Albus was livid. "You did not just say that! That is disgusting and so completely not true. How can you think such things?"

Harry was angry too, but he stayed quiet because he wanted Albus to fight his own battle. He would jump in if things got out of hand, but not before.

"You're totally wrong, mum," Lily said softly. "Scorpius is a wonderful guy and he's besottedly in love with Al. I understand that you're concerned and all that, but I think you should get to know Scor a little bit before you decide to judge him."

"What is it about this boy? He's seems to have gone and bewitched all of you. You just don't see my point do you?"

"You don't have a point, mum," James said quietly.

"Not you too!" Ginny said.

"I didn't like it when Al started dating Scorpius. We even fought about it a few times. But even when I was angry, I could see that they really do love each other very much. Scorpius would never do anything to hurt Al. So your concern is unnecessary."

"Right! So I'm the bad guy here, just because I don't want to protect my son and make sure that he doesn't get hurt," Ginny said.

"You're just not getting it are you? Scor would never do anything to hurt me. And I can't stand here and listen to you say all these things. It is painful mum," Albus said and then he turned and left the room. Lily shook her head despairingly at the mother and then she went after Albus. James followed after a couple of minutes.

Ginny felt awful when her children walked out on her like that.  _They are all so sure that I am wrong. But they're children. They're naive and trusting. They don't know what it was like to live through a war. The Malfoys were death eaters. Lucius may be dead, but I don't see a single reason to trust Draco Malfoy, not after all the awful things he did. And Al is involved with his son...How can that not bother me? Why don't they understand? The Malfoys are not nice people..._

Ginny looked up to see Harry looking sternly at her. "Back off, Gin," he said. "I know you don't like this, but it is really not your choice. And your concern is totally baseless. I'll agree that Lucius was an evil man and that Draco made some terrible mistakes during the war, but all that was twenty four years ago. You have to let it go and move on."

"Made some mistakes? Draco Malfoy did a lot more than that, Harry. He let death eaters in to a school full of children. It's because of him that Bill is scarred and disfigured. He cursed Katie and he nearly killed Ron. These are things that you don't just forget."

"Has it never struck you that Draco was under duress? He was sixteen years old Gin and his family was under threat. What was he supposed to do? Let his parents die? What would you have done in that situation?"

Ginny had no response to that. Harry sighed.

"All this was more than two decades ago," he continued. "Draco has changed. He's not the arrogant, selfish git that you remember. In fact you met him that day at the match. Didn't you see how different he was?"

Much as she would've liked to, Ginny couldn't deny that Harry was right. Draco had seemed very different...he'd been friendly and polite. He'd actually made an effort to be nice to her... _Has he really changed? Is it possible that my concern is misplaced?_  Ginny wondered.

"Draco hasn't done anything since the war to hurt anyone," Harry continued. "He's kept to himself, he's done his work and he's raised his son and he's done a damn good job of that. Scorpius is the most level headed and mature young man that I have ever met. You should get to know him before you decide that he's not good enough for Al."

Ginny found that she couldn't argue anymore. She didn't want to. So she nodded. "Fine!" She said. "I'll meet Scorpius, but you'd better not expect me to like him."

"I'm not expecting anything like that. I just want you to give the boy a fair chance," Harry said and then he walked out, leaving Ginny to brood.

**...**

James walked into Albus' bedroom to find him sitting by the window, looking miserable. Lily had her arm around him and she was trying to cheer him up.

"It's okay, Al," James said when he joined them. "Just give her some time. She'll come around. I did. So I don't see why mum can't."

Lily looked at him curiously. She had been wondering about his change of heart. "What made you come around, Jamie?" She asked. Albus looked up. He was curious about that too.

"Dad," James said briefly. "It was on the night that we got back from school. I couldn't sleep and I came downstairs to get some water and I found dad sitting alone in the kitchen. He couldn't sleep either. So we started talking. I told him about all our fights and...well, everything. He listened very quietly and then he told me a lot of things about the war and about Professor Malfoy that I really hadn't known before and it made me realise that whatever opinions and judgements I had formed were based on half knowledge and as such weren't really justified."

"Uncle Ron has told us so much about all those things that Professor Malfoy did in the war and I always got the impression that he chose to do those things, that he wanted to do them. So I assumed that he was a bad person. I didn't know that his family was under threat and that he had no choice. And he was just sixteen at the time...I can't imagine how horrible it must have been to be in that position."

"Besides I was judging the man by what he used to be like at school and assuming that Scorpius was just like that, not even allowing for the possibility that Professor Malfoy could've changed. And I know that Scorpius is a very nice guy. I've seen enough of him to know that. But I let my stupid prejudice get in the way. Dad made me see all that. He told me that I was being thick headed and stupid," James said ruefully. "I didn't want to accept that, so I argued with him. He was gentle, but he didn't let up until I understood how wrong and unfair I'd been."

"I'm sorry, Al. I really am. I made things unnecessarily difficult for you," James said softly.

"It's okay, Jamie. You don't have to keep apologising.”

"And I'm sorry I got mad at you, Lil," James continued.

"You better be," Lily said and then she pulled both her brothers into a hug.

**...**

A/N: Let me know what you think...

 


	45. Chapter 45

Harry left the kitchen and walked away from Ginny feeling rather drained. It was exhausting to be in such a state of emotional upheaval all the time. And there was no way he could get away from it even. He walked out into the garden and sat on the bench for a while, breathing deeply and trying to stop his thoughts from bouncing around in his head and making him crazy. He glanced at his watch after a while. It was eight thirty in the morning...He sighed.  _I can't think of anything worse than having to host a party today,_  he thought. But there was no help for it. And there was still so much to do, not to mention all the frayed tempers that had to be taken care of.

Ginny's reaction had not been unexpected, and yet it had hurt.  _Al doesn't deserve this_ , he thought.  _He may have defied Ginny, but I know he's upset and it is unfair to ask him to get past this and act all cheerful and happy for everybody else's sake, particularly when today is supposed to be about making him happy. If only Ginny can get put her issues aside long enough to think about Al and his feelings. I know she doesn't actually want to make him unhappy_ , he thought and then he sighed again. He knew that he had to try and talk some sense into his wife...So he got up and reluctantly made his way back into the house.

He walked into the kitchen and found Ginny making breakfast. He stood by the door and watched her for a minute. She turned around and smiled a bit ruefully. "I thought I'd make myself useful," she said.

"Thanks," Harry said. The surprise was evident in his voice.

"I can be domestic, you know...sometimes," she said and then she looked away, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He sensed that she wanted to say something, so he waited.

"I thought about what you said, Harry and some of it makes sense, and yet I simply cannot bring myself to feel comfortable with the idea of Al being with a Malfoy...I'm trying, but it's difficult. There are some things that I just cannot forget," Ginny said.

"I get that. But this is not about Draco or Lucius. This is about Scorpius. I don't understand how you can be prejudiced against him for things that he had nothing to do with...things that happened long before he was born, even."

Ginny sighed. "You're right. You don't understand. And I'm not sure you can, even...The thing is," she said and then she stopped again. She seemed to be trying to choose her words carefully. "Family is very important in our world, Harry. It is the source of your identity, your beliefs, your culture and tradition. And Scorpius is a Malfoy. That is not something I can just ignore."

Harry bristled at her words. "What do you mean I can't understand? Just because I grew up without a proper family, it doesn't mean that I don't understand the importance of it. If anything, I understand it better than you do!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said and what you understood. I'm sure you don't want me to elaborate."

Ginny opened her mouth to argue and then she thought the better of it. "I didn't mean it badly...But I probably shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. Just let it go, please."

They were both silent for a while. Ginny focussed on the bacon and the eggs, while Harry stood at the window and looked out, wondering how he was going to find the patience to deal with any more of this. He thought it was time to point out that Ginny was ruining Al's birthday with her pigheadedness and that she really should stop. He turned around and saw that she had gone into the dining room and started setting the table. He sighed and followed her out of the kitchen. She looked thoughtful, like she was trying to figure out the best way to say what she was thinking.

"Look, I'm just saying that Scorpius has probably been raised to be the perfect Malfoy, just like his father," she said. "So he'll have the looks and the poise and the manner...all of which is, I'm sure very attractive. And I'm guessing he's really intelligent as well, and I can see how Al could be drawn to him. But he's a Malfoy and he will have grown up with all their beliefs and ideals...being arrogant, thinking himself superior to everyone else and believing in blood purity and all that trash. He may not express those opinions, but I'm sure he has them and how can he not, considering the family that he comes from?"

Harry wanted to bang his head against the wall. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Didn't you hear anything I said earlier?" He began. "I told you that Draco is not at all what he used to be like at school. He's changed a lot and he's done a wonderful job of raising Scorpius...I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but he's a better parent than I am. They're not the Malfoys that you're imagining...” He said and then he sighed. He was so tired of repeating himself. “You may not know Draco, but you know me and I am telling you that Scorpius is a wonderful young man. He's nothing like Draco used to be at that age. So will you quit already? You said you'd meet him and give him a chance, so why are we talking about this all over again?"

"I know what I said and I will give him a chance, Harry. But I can't not be upset about this. I'm sorry that all of this is happening on Al's birthday, I really am. But he chose to tell me today. What was I supposed to do? Not react? Or say things I don't mean, just to spare his feelings? That may have worked to keep things peaceful for today, but it would've come up later anyway. So I was honest."

"Fine," Harry said. It was obvious that he was exasperated. "You've agreed to give him a chance, so can we stop talking about this until you actually do meet Scorpius? I think there have been enough bad feelings in this house for one day, really."

Ginny saw the sense in what he was saying, but she was irritated by his manner. "Fine," she said, not bothering to hide her irritation. "Let's just have breakfast and act all normal then."

"Not until you apologise to Al."

"I'm sorry I upset him on his birthday, Harry, but I'm not sorry for anything I said."

Unfortunately for her, James, Albus and Lily chose that exact moment to walk into the dining room. Harry groaned. He couldn't help himself. It was almost as if fate was conspiring against all of them and making sure that things only got worse. Ginny was taken aback. It was a pity Albus had heard those words, but she had meant them and she was not about to take them back. But she couldn't bear to see the hurt in her son's eyes. So she took a deep breath and walked up to him.

"I'm sorry, Al. I most definitely don't want to make you feel bad today. Harry's right. We should just put this aside...at least for a while. I'm sorry I hurt you. That was really not my intention."

"This is not about my birthday mum. I honestly don't care about that. It doesn't bother me that we're having this conversation today. What bothers me is that we're having it at all. When Jamie told you about Jennifer, you had no idea who she was or what she might be like, but you smiled and said that you can't wait to meet her. That's how dad reacted when I told him about Scorpius. I did not expect you to react in the same way, but I wish you could have been a little more understanding," he said and he looked so disappointed with her. "I wish you had tried," he said and then he walked away.

Albus went up the stairs to his bedroom and shut the door. He was upset and angry, but a little bit of quiet thinking made him realise something.  _If my mother is being pigheaded, that's her problem isn't it? It is not going to affect my relationship with Scorpius...even if she never approves. It might affect my relationship with her, but there's nothing I can do about that. So why am I brooding exactly_? And just like that he decided that he was not going to waste any more time and energy thinking about his mother and what she'd said and what she might say and how she might treat Scorpius and so on.

Ginny meanwhile, was sitting in the garden and doing some thinking of her own. She had been  hurt by Albus' words and more so because it was Albus...who had only ever, been gentle with her. She'd had her share of clashes with James and Lily who were both a little hot headed like her, but Albus was the quiet one, the peaceful one. To see him assert himself like that had been a bit of a shock and the things he'd said, particularly the way he'd compared her unfavourably to Harry...it had hurt. It had made her question herself. And she realised that while she may have been acting out of concern, she could have done a vastly better job of expressing herself and she could have reserved judgement until after meeting Scorpius. So it was with a sigh and a strong feeling of regret that she got up and went inside to help Harry get everything ready for the party.

**...**

It was an hour before the guests were due to arrive. Most of the preparations were done. Harry and James had used their magic to temporarily dissolve the walls between the living room and the dining room, so they had one large room to hold the party in. They'd moved the dining table to one end of the room where the caterers were getting ready to set up the buffet. There were several tables with four and six chairs around them, arranged around the room, leaving enough space in the middle to make a basic dance floor. The decorator and the florist had come by and done an admirable job of dressing the room up...the whole place looked very pretty in shades of blue, white and silver...all of them Albus' favourite colours.

Albus and his mother had not spoken since the morning. They each went about their day doing what they had to, not willing to talk because they were afraid that it would just lead to another argument. Harry found himself feeling very grateful for this. The longer the two stayed away from each other, the better it was. Ron and Hermione had come over a few hours ago to help. They'd sensed the tension in the house, but thanks to Hermione, neither of them remarked on it, carrying on as if everything was perfectly normal.

And then it was almost time for the guests to arrive. Lily was surprised to see Albus curled up with his book, reading intently. He hadn't bothered to get changed yet _. He's always like this_ , she thought as she marched up to him.

"Al! What are you still doing here? Get your nose out of that book and go get dressed!" She said.

Albus shut his book and looked up reluctantly. "What time is it?” He said.

“It is five forty five.”

“That’s a good fifteen minutes. More than enough time to get dressed.”

"You'd better spend more than ten minutes on yourself today," she said with her hands on her hips. Always an indication that she was serious. “Even if it means that you’re late to your own party.”

"Why?"

"Because it's your seventeenth birthday, you dolt. And because your boyfriend is going to be here soon and I want you to wow him, make him drool and make him happy. He deserves that much, considering he's coming alone and unprotected into a den of Weasleys."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Albus said and then he got up and stretched.

"Go take a shower and spend some time taming this...this mop of yours," she said as she tugged at his hair.

"Hey!" Albus said as he stepped away from her. "Scor likes this mop."

"He'll like it better when it is styled and looks less like a bird's nest."

"It does not look like a bird's nest!" Albus said indignantly.

"Don't argue with me, Al. You know you can't win. Now stop wasting your time. Go take a shower and get dressed and I'll come up and deal with your hair," she said and then she practically pushed him up the stairs. "Wear the green robe," she yelled after him.

_Maybe she's right,_  Albus thought as he stepped into a hot shower and felt his muscles relax and his tension slip away from him.  _I do like the idea of dressing up for Scor. I don't usually bother with things like this, but it might be fun to 'wow him' as Lily put it._

...

Scorpius was extremely nervous as he apparated to the designated spot just outside the Potter home. He was a little late, but that was deliberate. He was nervous enough without having to be the first to get there as well. He knew that Albus would've told his mother about them by now and he couldn't help but wonder how she had reacted. He opened the gate and started walking down the driveway, feeling a bit exposed and rather uncomfortably lonely. _I hope_   _everything is okay._   _I hope Al is okay,_ he thought _._

And then he saw Lily walking up the drive to meet him.

"Hi! It is good to see you," she said and then she hugged him.

"It's good to see you too. How's Al?" He said.

"Well, aren't you the loving boyfriend?" Lily said with a smirk. "He's fine," she said when the saw the look on his face. "Mum didn't take it well, but Al stood up to her. He was upset and angry at first, but he got over it. And now he's just waiting for you, so come on," she said as she led him into the house.

There were quite a few people about. But he saw Albus right away. He was standing by the staircase talking to Louis. Albus had his back to him and Scorpius found himself admiring the fit of his robe... _It really clings to him in the most delightful way_ , he thought. And then Louis saw him and smiled. Scorpius smiled back and then Albus turned around and Scorpius felt as if all the breath had been knocked out of him. _Merlin! He looks...delicious_.  _I could just eat him_ , he thought as he let his eyes wander briefly up and down Albus' body, taking in the rich green of his robe and the way it contrasted with his skin and his eyes.. _.and the fit, Good Lord_ , he thought...and then Albus smiled and Scorpius thought his knees would give out. And before he knew it, Albus was standing in front of him.

Albus knew that everyone was looking at them. He was particularly aware of his mother's scrutiny and he found to his surprise that it didn't make him nervous. If anything, he was amused. He put his arms around Scorpius and pulled him close.

"What are you doing?" Scorpius whispered.

"Making a point," Albus said. There was a mischievous light in his eyes that Scorpius had never seen before.  _It makes him look even more attractive if that's possible,_ Scorpius thought as he stared transfixed.

"I love you," he said before he could stop himself.

"I love you too," Albus said and then he bent his head and kissed his boyfriend.

...

**A/N: Well, how did I do?**

 


	46. Chapter 46

It was a very chaste kiss and it only lasted a couple of seconds, but it made the point. When Albus pulled away from Scorpius, no one was left in any doubt as to the nature of their relationship. Ginny was frowning and Ron looked a bit red faced. George, Bill, Fleur and Angelina had had their surprise at the station two days ago, so now they just looked on, while their kids smiled. They'd got so used to seeing Albus and Scorpius together at school that they could no longer think of one without the other.

"Happy birthday," Scorpius said softly.

"Thanks."

"Do you know how utterly gorgeous you look?" Scorpius said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said as he gave his boyfriend a quick once over. "So bloody hot," he whispered and Albus blushed.

"You look pretty hot yourself," he said as he ran his eyes very deliberately over Scorpius who did look rather good. He was wearing a dark blue robe that contrasted beautifully with his hair and his skin and he looked every bit the young aristocrat that he was.

Scorpius blushed under his boyfriend's rather intense gaze and Albus smiled.

It was such a fond smile. Ginny saw it and she sighed. And then she noticed the way Scorpius was looking at Albus and it gave her pause. It was a look of adoration...Scorpius adored her son and it was written all over his face and his manner as he let Albus pull him into a hug and hold him tight. Ginny found herself blinking in disbelief.  _Is it really possible that he cares about Al that much or is he just_   _a very good_   _actor?_  She wondered as she looked at him intently as he stood with his arms about her son.  She was irritated by this obvious display of affection, but then she remembered something that Hermione had said to her a little while ago and she tried not to let her feelings show.

Ginny had been complaining about Albus and Hermione had said, "I know it's upset you Ginny, but you have to remember that Al is a teenager. The more you push him the more he will rebel. And tell me, would you have taken kindly to anyone telling you who you could and couldn't date when you were his age?"

Ginny had to admit that Hermione was right. "I used to hate it when Ron commented on my boyfriends, even," she had admitted ruefully.

"Exactly. So let it go. Besides, you're worrying unnecessarily. Scorpius is a very nice kid. He and Rosie have been friends for years..."

Ginny had tuned her friend out at that moment. She hadn't wanted to hear yet another person tell her that Scorpius was a wonderful young man. But she was reasonable enough to admit, as she watched him with her son that they weren't doing anything that any other couple wouldn't do. So she was only irritated because it was a Malfoy that her son was hugging.

Albus and Scorpius stepped away from each other and continued to talk softly. And then James came over to them.

"Hello Scorpius," he said and held out his hand.

Scorpius was very surprised, but he smiled and took the offered hand. And then they talked...about a lot of little things. It was bit stiff at first, but soon both James and Scorpius relaxed and then Scorpius found himself laughing uncontrollably along with Albus as James made one wickedly funny observation after another. He discovered much to his amazement that James had a very sarcastic tongue and fantastic sense of humour... Harry walked over to them after a while and he greeted Scorpius with all his usual affection. He led them all to a table and made them sit down as the waiters started doing the rounds with the drinks and the appetisers. Harry chatted with them for a while and then he went to greet Neville and Hannah who had only just arrived.

Scorpius was very comfortable where he was but it was a while since he had arrived and he felt that it was about time he greeted Albus’ mother. Albus was not sure how his mother would behave, but he understood that Scorpius did not want to be rude and  _she did say she'd give him a_   _chance, so I guess I should give her a chance as well,_  he thought as he put his arm around Scorpius and took him to meet his mother. Ginny saw them coming towards her and she braced herself. She got her irritation under control and reminded herself that Scorpius was a guest in her home.

"Mum, this is Scorpius," Albus said. His tone was a bit wary as if he wasn't sure how his mother would behave and that only pushed Ginny to be even more polite than she would otherwise have been.

"Hello Scorpius," she said as she held out her hand and smiled.

"Hello Mrs Potter, it is very nice to meet you," Scorpius said.

"It is nice to meet to you too," she said. "I've been hearing a lot about you."

It was said with a touch of sarcasm, but Scorpius chose to ignore it.

"I hear you've just come back from Canada. Must be fun to have a job that lets you travel so much," he said.

"Oh it is," Ginny said. "I love travelling."

"Me too," Scorpius said. "Though I've only been around Europe so far."

"Really? Where?"

"I grew up in France and I really miss it, so dad and I go back there every summer and in the last few years we've been to Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece and Turkey last year."

"You've been to Turkey?" Ginny said. "It is one the few countries in Europe that I've never seen."

"It is a fascinating place. The wizarding community there is quite small, but they're very friendly and there's a fund of knowledge there about potion making."

"I bet your father liked that," Ginny said with a touch of frost at the mention of Draco Malfoy.

"Yes he did," Scorpius said. He hadn't missed the change in her tone at the mention of his father, but again he chose to ignore it.

"Albus tells me you're a collector," he continued.

Ginny was passionate about art. She had good taste and she was rather well informed and over the years she had built up quite a collection of paintings and sculpture and all sorts of folk art, both wizard and muggle, some of which was on display in that very room. It was a passion that no one in her family shared and it was something that she absolutely loved to talk about. So before she knew it, she was engaged in a conversation with Scorpius, sharing her experiences and expressing opinions while he listened and shared some of his own opinions and ideas which Ginny found fascinating despite herself...Albus stood by and watched entranced as his boyfriend slowly charmed his mother into liking him.

"He's a real charmer," Harry whispered as he came up to join Albus.

"I know, but somehow I thought mum would be immune."

"How can she hold out when he expresses such enthusiasm for the things that she loves and can never share with us? He may be a Ravenclaw, but I think there's a good bit of Slytherin in him," Harry said. "Did you tell him that Ginny's a collector?"

"I mentioned it in passing once."

Ginny had been drawn into conversation without realising it, but a few minutes in and she had to admit that she was having a pretty good time. Scorpius was obviously very intelligent and he was an excellent conversationalist...she had expected the politeness and the intelligence, but she hadn't expected him to be quite so disarming and try as she might she couldn't shake the feeling that he was a very nice young man...

...

It was nearly two hours later. Albus and Scorpius were dancing, holding each other close and talking softly. Scorpius had spent all this time being introduced to various members of the Weasley clan. He'd met Molly and Arthur...They had both been a bit dubious about him, but they found him to be a nice enough and soon Molly was asking about his family and it really struck her grandmotherly heart to hear that Scorpius had no one in the world to call family other than his father.  _The poor boy_ , she found herself thinking.

Then Albus dragged Scorpius off to meet his Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur and he deliberately told them that Scorpius had grown up in France, that too at Beaubaxtons. Fleur was obviously very interested to hear that and she started asking questions and telling stories...she got so enthusiastic that she slipped into French at one point and she was very gratified to have Scorpius respond in her own language.

"He's a very special young man, hold on to him," she told Albus later.

Hermione had met Scorpius before, but she'd never really had a chance to get to know him, so she spent a while talking to him as well. Then he was introduced to Teddy, who he was surprised to find was actually a cousin. Teddy was thrilled to meet Scorpius as well. He'd always considered Harry to be his dad and he treated James, Albus and Lily as his siblings, but it was nice to find someone who was actually related to him by blood. His grandmother had passed away years ago, so he'd never had an actual relative. He was curious about Draco as well and soon Scorpius was telling him all about his father and they ended up making plans to meet sometime in the next few days.

And then Scorpius was introduced to Victoire and Dominic and Roxanne and Molly and Lucy, all of them Weasley kids, who had left Hogwarts a few years ago. It was a fairly overwhelming experience for him and he was glad when the music started and Albus dragged him off to the dance floor.

"Finally, I get you to myself," Albus whispered as he held him close.

"Your family is a bit...overwhelming, but they are all very nice."

"I'm not sure how many of them actually wanted to be nice to you, but you're too charming to resist."

Scorpius smiled as he pulled Albus just a little bit closer to him. "Mmmm..." He said appreciatively as he felt Albus' strong chest against his own. "I like dancing with you."

"I like dancing with you too. I love the excuse it gives me to hold you close and I love that I can sneak in the occasional kiss," Albus whispered as he kissed Scorpius lightly on his mouth. "You have such a delectable mouth," he said and Scorpius blushed.

"And then there's the way you blush...it is perfectly designed to make me crazy," he said and Scorpius blushed some more. Albus could only stare.

"Do you have any concept of how beautiful you are?" Albus said after a while and Scorpius had to bury his on Albus' shoulder to keep everyone from seeing his face...

"I loved what you said in that letter," Albus said after a minute and Scorpius looked up. "It's true for me too, you know. I can't imagine a life without you either," he said.

They gazed at each other for another couple of minutes and then they kissed. Ginny was watching them, of course and she sighed. It was a sigh of resignation, a realisation perhaps that this was a situation that she could do nothing about. Harry came over to her just then and he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"I've never seen anyone in love like these two," he said.

Ginny huffed. But she was forced to admit that he was right. Albus and Scorpius did look like they were deeply in love. She could barely fathom the look of joy on her son's face as he gazed so intently at his boyfriend.

"I've never seen Al look so happy before," she said. "Or be so assertive," she added after a moment.

"He's growing up, Gin."

"Yeah. I can't believe he's seventeen already. Where do the years go, Harry?"

"I don't know. It seems like it was yesterday that he were bringing him home from the hospital. He was such a peaceful baby compared to Jamie."

"He's always been the peaceful one."

"Don't you think he deserves some slack, just for that?"

Ginny sighed. "Yes he does. And I hate to admit it, but you were right, Harry. Scorpius is a very nice kid," she said as he continued to look intently at Albus and Scorpius as they held each other close and continued to dance to that slow beat. "Anyone who can make Al smile like that has got to be pretty damn special."

...

The dance ended and Albus and Scorpius joined the rest of their friends. It was only then that Albus noticed that he hadn't seen his brother for a quite a while...ever since they'd started dancing, in fact. He'd noticed Fred and Louis on the dance floor at one time or the other, but there had been no sign of James...It was then that it struck him that Jennifer was nowhere to be seen either. She hadn't come to the party at all.  _That's pretty strange. I'm sure she was invited...we never leave her out of occasions like these,_ he thought, feeling rather puzzled about the whole thing. Then he saw Lily coming towards him and he went to meet her.

"How come Jennifer isn't here today?" He asked.

"Um...I was wondering about that too. Turns out she broke up with Jamie a week ago."

"What? Why? I thought they were getting serious about each other."

"I don't know, really. He wouldn't tell me," she said.

"Where is he?"

"He's talking to Teddy," she said as she pointed. James and Teddy were sitting at one of the tables in the corner of the room and talking seriously. "I think they're talking about his break up."

They were. James and Teddy had always been good friends, despite the difference in age. James hadn't intended to bring up his troubles at the party, but Teddy had noticed that he seemed a bit upset and thoughtful, which was very unlike him and he had noticed Jennifer's absence as well, so he'd cornered James and asked him about it.

"She wants a commitment of some kind, now that we're going to finish school," James said, "And I'm not ready for that. I don't know how you did it, Teddy, marrying Vicky right out of school."

"It was a bit reckless of us, actually," Teddy said, "But we couldn't bear not being together and that made it easy. Not that I would advise anyone to marry that young. Marriage needs a good bit of maturity. But Jennifer isn't talking about marriage is she?"

"No. But she wants us to get engaged at least and I'm really not ready."

"It is only natural for her to want some kind of assurance that you're serious...Are you serious?"

"I thought I was but..."

"But what?"

James sighed. "We've been fighting a lot lately," he said. "Jenny thinks that it is just taking us a while to understand and get used to each other, but I'm not so sure. We're very different, Teddy. She's soft and mild and I'm aggressive and pushy and I don't always think before I speak and I end up hurting her...over little things. And then she gets upset and I feel like a real cad. I find myself wishing that she would stand up to me and give as good as she gets...I guess I'm just not sure if we're right for each other."

"I mean, look at Al and Scorpius, or Rosie and Frank...it is so obvious that they're right for each other and they're so damn happy. I can't help wanting something like that. Jenny and I were happy too...in the beginning, but then we started fighting and arguing and it is always about something small. It's more a clash of personalities than anything else. And that's what scares me. That's why I don't want to commit."

"Did you explain that to her?" Teddy asked.

"I tried, but I don't think I did a very good job of it. She thinks I'm looking for any excuse I can, not to be with her."

"Are you?"

“I wish I was. Then everything would be simple."

"How long have you two been together?"

"Almost a year now."

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know. I'm not really sure."

"A year is long enough to know whether you love someone or not, Jamie. So maybe this break up is a good thing. Maybe a little time away from each other is what you need to figure out what you're actually feeling."

...

A/N: Tell me what you think...

 


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have been swamped with work and I haven’t been able to find much time to write. And I haven’t been able to reply to your reviews and comments either. Sorry about that and thank you so much for making the time to share your opinions. I always look forward to hearing them. Thank you for reading.

It was the morning after the party. Albus, James and Lily had gone to Diagon alley to meet up with a few of their friends, or so they told their parents, who accepted it easily enough. The truth was that Lily had gone to meet Jeremy and Albus to meet Scorpius while James was going to meet Fred and Louis at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes so his uncle George could try a whole new bunch of products on them. This was usually a lot of fun and sometimes a lot of pain, but James and Fred were always ready to volunteer because of all the free stuff that they got out of it. Louis never saw the point in being experimented on and risking his health and general well being, so he stayed out of it. But he was always happy to watch his friends being pranked.

So when Fred had brought it up the previous evening, Louis had agreed easily enough. But now he was starting to regret it. He was supposed to be meeting Stanley for lunch in just over half an hour. He'd assumed that his Uncle George would be done experimenting by now, but it seemed that the man had an unusually long list of products to test. He could just leave of course, but that would involve explaining why and he wasn't sure he wanted to tell his uncle that he had a date...that would only lead to more questions and whether he answered them or not, Fred would. Louis had no desire to hide his relationship or anything, but had only just got back together with Stanley and he simply wasn't ready to talk about it yet. And then there was the fact that he hadn't told his parents until now...he was going to, but his relationship with Stanley was still so tentative...they hadn't even gone on a date yet.

It had taken quite a bit of courage to ask Stanley out on a date. He'd been half afraid that Stanley would refuse, saying that he would prefer it if they could just stay friends for a while. He had no idea that Stanley had in fact considered saying just that, he'd thought long and hard, but he hadn't been able to refuse Louis in the end. Louis had been thrilled when Stanley said yes and he'd spent a lot of time over the last couple of days, planning the perfect date. He glanced at his watch and sighed. He was supposed to be meeting Stanley in twenty minutes, which was plenty of time, considering that he was meeting him at Fortescues's which was a mere five minute walk away, but he simply couldn't stay in his uncle's shop anymore. So he got up and said he had to leave.

"I thought you were going to stay for lunch," George said.

"Thanks, Uncle George, but I can't. I promised Al that I'd meet him for lunch and take him shopping after," Louis said. He glanced warily at his cousins and hoped that neither of them would offer to join him.

And sure enough, Fred turned to him with the intention of doing just that. But luckily for him, James was more astute than Fred and he realised that Louis was going to meet Stanley. So he looked pointedly at Fred and stopped him from saying anything.

"Fine. We'll see you later then," he said casually as he turned back to his uncle and asked him a couple of questions that got him talking excitedly again.

Louis left and he quickly made his way to Fortescue's...he'd asked Stanley to meet him outside. He hadn't told him where they were going to go yet. That was supposed to be a surprise. He glanced at his watch and realised that he was a good ten minutes early. He was standing outside the big glass windows of the ice cream shop and he looked inside to see Lily and Jeremy sitting in the corner and talking quietly. They seemed to be completely absorbed in each other and it was obvious from the way Jeremy was looking at Lily that he'd fallen hard for her. It was also obvious from the way they were sitting on opposite sides of the table and not touching at all, that this wasn't exactly a date.  _He hasn't asked her out yet, then. But he will, considering that he felt the need to meet her just three days after break_   _started_ , Louis thought and he smiled fondly as he remembered how excited Lily had been the previous day when she'd got Jeremy's owl, asking to meet.

_They'll make a good couple,_  he thought as he continued to look at them. He didn't know much about Jeremy except what he'd learned from watching him play quidditch and what Lily had told him,  _but there's a certain something about them together that just feels right..._ He looked down the street and saw Albus and Scorpius walk hand in hand into Flourish and Blotts and he smiled. It was nice to see them...there was always an air of quiet contentment about them that he rather envied, though he wasn't as envious of them now as he had been just a few days ago. After all, he was waiting for Stanley who had by some miracle agreed to a date; so he had plenty to be happy about...and then he saw Stanley walking down the road towards him and his heart started thudding.

He smiled and went to meet him halfway and they hugged, like it was the most natural thing in the world and Louis could honestly say that he had never felt happier. "I missed you so much," he said.

"I missed you too," Stanley said softly. His heart was thudding too and he was quite desperate to reach up and kiss Louis, but he got a hold of himself.  _Not yet_ , he thought.

Louis was having similar thoughts but he knew better than to push. He was actually pretty happy just to have Stanley admit that he'd missed him. They stepped away from each other and Louis took a moment to admire his boyfriend... _Am I allowed to call him that yet?_  He wondered, but he chose not to ask. Stanley noticed the staring and he stared right back. After all, there was nothing he liked better than to look at Louis, who looked particularly gorgeous just now. He stared until Louis blushed and then he chuckled.

"Good to know that I can still have that effect on you," he said.

"You'll always have that effect on me," Louis said.

It was strange to hear him say something like that. The last time that they had been together, Louis had never ever expressed anything other than purely physical desire. So Stanley was finding it hard to know how to react. He didn't doubt Louis sincerity, not in the least, but he simple didn't know what to say and then Louis leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and stepped back with a cheeky smile which Stanley found completely adorable. This was a whole other side to Louis, a soft, romantic side that Stanley had never seen and would never even have guessed at.

"I love you," Louis said and Stanley almost said it back.  _Not so soon_ , he told himself.  _We need to at least go on the date first._

So he smiled..."I like hearing that," he said. It was the kind of honesty that Louis had not expected and it made him very happy indeed.

"So where are we going?" Stanley asked.

"You'll see," Louis said and then he put his arm around Stanley and pulled him close and disapparated.

Stanley was disoriented and completely taken aback when they finally landed in the corner of a street that was as beautiful as it was unfamiliar. Louis was still holding him really close, a fact that was making it a bit difficult to breathe, but he was still able to look around him long enough to figure out where they were.

"We're in France?!" He said. He sounded absolutely incredulous. "Since when can you apparate that far?"

"I've been practicing," Louis said as he pulled Stanley even closer. He was so desperate to kiss him, but he stopped himself at the last moment.  _Date first_ , he told himself.  _I have to earn that kiss._

"My dad taught me last summer," Louis said as he continued to hold Stanley really close.

Stanley found his resolve crumbling a little bit, but he was a Slytherin and there was no way he was going to allow Louis that kind of intimacy just yet. So he gently pulled away and looked around him some more.

"Where exactly are we?" he said.

"In the wizarding quarter of Paris," Louis said as he reluctantly let Stanley go. "We'll go have lunch first and then I'll show you around."

"Okay."

Louis led him down the street until they came to a little place called  _Giselle_. It was a small restaurant, and it was warm and cosy and the tables were arranged to allow for a certain amount of privacy.

"This is one of my favourite places in the world," Louis said, as they sat down. "It is small and they don't have a thirty page menu or a wine list a mile long, but what they do have is excellent."

And so it proved to be. Stanley had never been particularly fond of French food before, but Giselle, the sixty year old chef who seemed to have a smile for everyone who walked into her restaurant, changed his mind in the course of one meal.

"That was quite extraordinary," he said when they finished.

"I know. I'm glad you liked it."

"Oh I did and I'm going to insist that we keep coming back here."

"Yeah...it's a good place to make memories," Louis said and Stanley found himself surprised again.  _There's that glimpse_   _of the romantic, again,_  he thought.

Either his face was really transparent or Louis had somehow got to be very good at reading him, because he saw that look and said, "Why does it surprise you so much?"

"Why does what surprise me?"

"That fact I can be romantic."

Stanley coloured a bit. "Probably because you were anything but romantic the last time around," he said. He tried, but he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. He had too many painful memories. He didn't want to think about any of that, and certainly not now, when they were on their first date and Louis seemed to be really trying, but it wasn't easy to forget or to let go, particularly when he felt as vulnerable as he did right now.

Louis sighed. He knew that he had messed up badly and he hadn't expected Stanley to just forget all that. He saw that he would have to do everything he could to reassure him that things would be different this time around. He reached across the table and took Stanley's hands in his.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm sorry about everything that I did and I promise you that I'm never going to be like that again."

Stanley nodded. It was tight nod, an uncomfortable one. Louis sensed his doubt and his vulnerability and he felt awful.

"Stan," he said softly. "Are you afraid that I'm going to walk away from you again?" Louis asked.

Stanley nodded again. "You could still run," he said. "It's not like we've told our families yet. This is after all, a secret date."

"I'm not going to run, Stan. The only reason I haven't told my parents yet is that our relationship is still very tentative...we're friends but not quite and we want to be more, but we're not there yet. It is the sort of thing that is hard to explain. And when I tell them, I want to be able to say that you are my boyfriend."

They sat in a tense silence for a couple of minutes and then Louis got his courage together and asked the question that he'd been meaning to ask all this while.

"So...will you...be my boyfriend?" He said.

There was a hesitancy in the way he asked that question and a bit of hope in his eyes which made Stanley feel like his heart had melted just a little bit.

"Boyfriend?" He said. That was an expression and an acknowledgement that had been too much for Louis to make at one time. And now he was actually asking?

"Yes. I love you and I want to be with you. I want to make plans for a future together and...just be able to tell everyone that you're mine," Louis said...with a pout that melted Stanley completely.

This was way too soon. He'd wanted to wait for them to get back to school before they did anything like this. But Louis was just so hard to resist.  _And I want him so damn much_ , he thought. So he nodded.

"Yes," he said "I'd like that." He was still a bit scared that Louis would change his mind and abandon him again, but he put that fear aside and decided to take a chance. He loved Louis too much not to. "I'd actually love that," he said.

Louis stared at him for a minute, quite unable to believe that Stanley had agreed so easily. Then he got up and walked over to the other side of the table. He sat down next to his boyfriend and reached up to hold his face in his hands. He stroked Stanley's cheeks lightly and then he looked at him, asking for permission. Stanley smiled and put his arms around Louis and then they kissed. Louis let out a sigh of relief and contentment the moment their lips touched. He'd been aching for this. It felt so good to have Stanley's arms around him like that. He tilted his head a bit and moved his hand to the back of Stanley's head and ran his fingers through that soft and slightly long, dark hair.

Stanley let out a small sigh and tightened his grip on Louis. He angled his head a bit so they fit together better and then he lightly ran his tongue over Louis' lips and felt him moan in his arms. It was a sound that made his breath hitch and his heart pound even faster. So he did it again and this time Louis opened his mouth and Stanley dove right in, feeling like his heart was about to burst right out of his chest. It felt so bloody good. He'd wanted this for so long...and then he felt Louis' tongue wrap around his and he lost himself entirely.

It was every bit as fantastic as it used to be, and then some. Because now it wasn't rushed or hurried and they weren't trying to hide from anyone. There was no design or purpose behind the kiss...neither of them was trying to seduce the other. The only thing driving the kiss was a desire to express their feelings for each other...which were really strong. So when they finally moved apart, they were completely overwhelmed.

It took them a while to compose themselves enough to get up and leave the restaurant. They walked out into the busy street holding hands and feeling a bit dizzy and disoriented. They were just so happy. They spent the afternoon walking through the streets and looking at the shop displays. There was so much to see and plenty to buy, but they hardly noticed anything...they were only really aware of each other. It was wonderful to walk about so freely, stopping to kiss to hold each other whenever they felt like it. And when it was time to part, they didn't want to let go of each other at all. So they kissed a little bit more, they held each a little bit longer and finally Louis apparated them back to Diagon Alley and very reluctantly let Stanley go, but not before he promised to meet him again the next day.

They'd decided to tell both their parents that night. It was easier for Stanley because his parents already knew that he was gay and they would only be happy to hear that their son was with Louis. Louis had a more difficult task ahead of him, but he knew that neither of his parents would be bothered that he was with a man. They were pretty open minded, but they would be very surprised and they might find it a little hard to believe, particularly since Louis still didn't identify as a gay man. He wasn't bi either because he wasn't interested in men in general. It was only Stanley who made him feel that way. The fact that he was with Stanley wouldn't mean much to his mum, but his dad could only be happy about it.

...

Harry and Ginny were having a quiet day at home. They spent most of it on their own, as usual, but they ended up cooking and having lunch together and they, perhaps inevitably, got talking about the divorce. The biggest question on their minds was when and how to tell their children. Harry was of the opinion that they should do it right away. Ginny on the other hand, thought it might be better to put if off for a while, so they could enjoy their last Christmas as a family. But Harry was adamant that the kids had to be told before Christmas.

"Everyone else in the family knows, Ginny, and while I know that all of them will be discreet, any of them could let it slip or their kids could end up overhearing something...I just don't want to risk our kids hearing about this from anyone else."

Ginny sighed. "I can't argue with that, but I'm just afraid that this will ruin Christmas for them and I don't want that."

"I don't want that either, but it can't be helped. Everyone in the family wants to talk to us about this. They're still hoping that we'll change our minds. And they will bring it up when we all get together. It'll be damn near impossible to keep it from the kids then. And I most definitely don't want them to find out like that."

"Fine," Ginny said. "But can we wait a couple of days before we tell them? There are some things I want to settle first..."

"Like what?"

"Where I'm going to be living, for starters. I need to go house hunting. I've spoken to a couple of agents and they've got a few places to show me. I said I'd meet them tomorrow. For some reason, I want to get his sorted before we tell the kids."

"Okay. Sure," Harry said. And then, "You don't have to be the one who moves out, Gin...I"

"Don't be silly, Harry. This is your parent's house. You built it from scratch. Of course you're going to live here. And we both know that the kids will choose to stay with you," she said with a sigh. "So it's best that I move out...Besides, I've always wanted to live in London," Ginny said, with a hint of a smile. She was obviously trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"I know," Harry said ruefully. Ginny had never really liked being cooped up in the country as she called it. "I'm sorry I forced you into a life that you didn't really want."

"In all fairness, I did that to you too," Ginny said.

Harry sighed.

"You still can't believe that this is actually happening can you?" Ginny said.

"No...I'm sure it's the right decision and yet it feels so surreal when we talk about it,"

"I know."

"How do you think the kids will take it?"

"I have no idea, Harry. I know they'll be upset, but I hope they'll understand."

"Yeah..."

They stayed silent for a while, trying to absorb the fact that they were really doing this. After twenty years, they were going to go their separate ways.

...

**A/N: What do you think?**


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had a very busy time lately. I had guests for over ten days and I haven't had any time to write. And once they left, I found that I couldn't write. I hate it when that happens. But I kept pushing myself and this is the result. I hope you like it.

It was the morning of the next day. Ginny was out house hunting and Harry was at home with his kids. He was in his study...sitting at his table and looking out of the window as he chewed thoughtfully on the end of his quill. There was a parchment in front of him...it was a half finished letter to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry was writing to him to tell him that he needed to take six months off work because he wanted to pick up a temporary teaching job at Hogwarts. It wasn't a difficult letter to write, but Harry was distracted.

He was stressed and worried about how his kids were going to react to news of the divorce. And once the kids had been told, everyone in the family would want to talk about it. There would have to be many conversations before everyone was convinced that Harry and Ginny really did want to separate. And then they would officially file for divorce and there would be all the attention from the press and his friends and his colleagues and pretty much everyone in the wizarding world who still thought that every little thing that he did was somehow their business.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and finished writing that letter. Then he opened the window and whistled. Artemis swooped in and landed on his shoulder, almost as if he had been waiting to be called. Harry tied the letter to his foot, gave him an owl treat and sent him on his way. Then he shut the window and stood there for a minute, looking out at the peaceful village streets, gently dusted with snow. He sighed. And then he stretched and groaned. He was so tired. He hadn't been sleeping at all lately and he missed Draco very much. He wished he could get away for a few hours and go see him, but that wasn't exactly possible, or was it?

He glanced at the floo in his study...he shook his head as if to say no...he paced in front of the fireplace, trying not to look at it and then he walked back to the table and sat down. He picked up some parchment, thinking that he would at least write to Draco if he could not see him...but the words just wouldn't come.  _I don't want to write to him. I_   _want to see him and touch him and hold him for a bit,_ he thought, as his mind went back to worrying about how everyone would react when they found out about him and Draco. Telling everyone about the divorce would be a cake walk compared to that. He sighed and put his head in his hands, wondering for the millionth time why his life had to be so bloody complicated. He was startled by a knock on the door. He looked up to see Albus poke his head in.

"Dad? Is it okay if we all go to grandma's for a while? We'll get back after dinner."

"Sure."

"Thanks dad," Albus said and he made to leave but he hesitated and then he came back into the room.

"What?" Harry said.

"Are you alright?" Albus asked. "You look exhausted."

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping too well."

"Why?" Albus' concern was obvious.

"Hmmm...I don't know, Al. It just happens that way sometimes," Harry said with a wry smile, trying to look more cheerful than he felt.

Albus looked closely at his father for a minute. Then he pulled up a chair and sat down. "Dad?" He said gently. "It's not just exhaustion or sleeplessness, is it? There's something on your mind, something that you're worried about. I can tell..."

Harry sighed again... _Al is getting to be really perceptive_ , he thought as he wondered what to tell him. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get away without giving him some sort of an explanation.

"It's nothing to worry about. I'm just trying to make a big decision about my job, that's all."

"What decision?" Albus was worried about his dad and clearly he was not about to let go until he got a satisfactory reply to his questions.

"Look, I haven't even told your mother about it yet, but I think I want to quit my job." Harry had just said that off the top of his head, but then he realised that it was true. He didn't just want a few months off to do something else. He simply didn't want to go back to his job.

"What? Why?" Albus was clearly very surprised.

"For the same reason that you quit the quidditch team, I guess," Harry said with a rueful smile. "My job doesn't leave me with enough time to have a life...you've said it yourself, Al. I'm hardly around when I'm working and I've been neglecting you guys and I don't want to do that anymore. Besides the job itself has become boring and repetitive and I feel less like an auror and more like a poster boy for the auror corps...I'm tired of it."

Albus looked at his dad in silence for a couple of minutes. "Dad, are you sure about this?" He asked tentatively.

"I'm trying to make sure...that's the part that has me looking worried."

"What will you do, if you do decide to quit?"

"Um...I have a job offer actually," Harry said.

"What job offer?" James said. He and Lily had just come up to get Albus. They'd got tired of waiting for him.

Albus looked at his dad with raised eyebrows. "It's okay, I was going to tell all of you anyway," Harry said.

"Tell us what?" Lily asked.

"Dad wants to quit his job," Albus said and there were exclamations and questions and then Harry was explaining himself again.

"I thought that being an auror was something that you always wanted," James said. He understood his father's reasons for wanting to quit, but he was having some trouble wrapping his head around this.

"I did. But it's a job I don't enjoy anymore, so I see no sense in doing it. I'd much rather find something that makes me happy."

"So what is that job offer?" Albus said. He could barely contain his curiosity.

"I've been asked to take up a temporary teaching position at Hogwarts..."

"What?!" (James)

"Really?" (Lily)

"Seriously? That is so cool!" Albus said. "What will you be teaching?"

"Defence, obviously."

"What about Professor Edwards?"

"He has to take six months off. So I'll be filling in for him. It's a temporary position."

"But if you like it, you could stay on..." Albus said.

"Maybe. Look, Edwards had to go and McGonagall was looking for someone and Draco suggested that she ask me. I was unsure at first but then I thought why not? But as of now, it is only for six months."

"I just...wow. It's pretty much the last thing I expected to hear," James said.

"I know. How do you think I felt when McGonagall asked me? It was all so surreal."

"You're actually going to be teaching..." Lily said. She looked bemused.

"It'll be fun to have you at Hogwarts," Albus said. "Will you be staying there at term time or..."

"I'll be staying there, same as the rest of the teachers. But I won't be breathing down your necks, I promise," Harry said with a small smile.

"We know that!" Lily said. "Well, if you are going to be there, I wish you'd take up quidditch coaching, dad. We could use all the help we can get."

"Now that Al has gone and abandoned us," James added as he gave his brother a mock glare and a playful punch.

"I'm so sorry guys," Albus said as he put his hands up and looked contrite.

They continued in this vein for a little while, talking of all the things that they could do together once Harry came to Hogwarts and he was just glad that his kids seemed to like the idea of having him be their teacher. They were interrupted by the chiming of the floo downstairs.

"That must be Fred," James said. "We should go."

"Alright. But remember, I haven't told your mother about this yet, so don't go blabbing at your Grandma's okay."

"Okay," James said and then he walked out of the door followed by Lily and Albus.  _Dad, teaching? I would never have thought of it, but it might be fun_ , James thought as he remembered his childhood and all his lessons with a wand that his father took him through before he went to Hogwarts and... _It will be fun_ , he thought as he walked down the stairs to meet Fred who was just stepping out of the floo.

_So now I'll get to have my dad around all the time as well_ , Albus thought with a smile and then he stopped.  _But if dad's going to be living at Hogwarts, he and mum will have to spend term time away from each other...They spend a lot of time apart as it is. So mum may not like it. But then she's the one who's going away all the time, so she can hardly complain..._ That got him thinking about a few things that he hadn't really considered before.

Albus had accepted his mother's frequent absence as a fact of life and he'd got used to it. They all had. So he'd assumed that his dad was used to it as well. He certainly never complained...And his parents seemed happy enough on the whole. So he'd never questioned it. But ever since he'd got together with Scorpius, he'd begun to understand the role of a partner in your life and he knew that he wouldn't be able to go a week without seeing Scorpius...even the thought of it painful. So how did his parents do it year after year? Didn't they miss each other? He was still wondering about that when he stepped through the fireplace at The Burrow and found himself surrounded by noise and conversation which put all those thoughts out of his head...for a while.

**...**

Harry sat back in his chair and sighed as his kids left and the house fell silent. He felt his exhaustion return as he slumped forward on the table and wished that Draco were here. There was a soft chime from the floo in his study and there was Draco, looking up at Harry almost like answer to his prayer.

"Do you have a minute?" He asked with a smile.

"Draco!" Harry said as he almost leaped out of his chair. "Can you come through?"

"Sure," Draco said and then he stepped trough the floo. Harry grabbed him the moment he came through. He put his arms around Draco and held him tight. He buried his face in his neck and inhaled deeply feeling instantly comforted by the now familiar, spicy scent of Draco's cologne. Draco chuckled as he put his arms around Harry and drew him close.

"I missed you too," he said.

Harry's only response was to hold him tighter and let out a contented little sigh that made Draco chuckle again. He pulled back a bit, to look at Harry's face. He put his hand on Harry's cheek and caressed him. "You look exhausted," he said.

"I am. I haven't slept in five days."

"Harry, why?" Draco's concern was obvious.

"I've been worried and stressed and my brain just won't shut up long enough to let me sleep...and I haven't had you to hold me and calm me down," Harry said with a little pout that Draco found absolutely adorable.

"Well, I'm here now. Let's see what I can do," Draco said as he led Harry to the couch and made him lie down. Then he lay down beside Harry, held him close and began to kiss him...soft, gentle little kisses all over his face and neck that made Harry melt against him and relax completely. Harry was very tired and it was so good to snuggle up to Draco like that...it made him feel warm and loved and so damn lucky as he gave in to his exhaustion and slipped into sleep.

"I love you, Draco," Harry mumbled just before he fell asleep.

Draco was stunned. Had Harry really said that? Did he know that he had said it? Did he mean it?  _I hope he did_ , he thought as he kissed Harry gently on his forehead. "I love you too, Harry," he murmured. He knew that Harry couldn't hear the words, but it felt good to be able to say them.

Draco stayed where he was for a while, holding Harry close and watching him sleep. Then he decided to leave before anyone got back home and found them. He kissed Harry softly and then he gently slipped out from under him. He got his wand out and turned the couch into a bed so Harry would be more comfortable. He stared at Harry fondly as he transfigured his handkerchief into a blanket and covered him...He didn't want to leave.  _I can't wait for the day when we can be together openly._ _I hate that_   _we have to sneak around like this._   _I hate that I can't be here when Harry wakes up,_ Draco thought, as he kissed Harry one more time and left.

...

Harry woke up hours later feeling rested and happy. The house was still very quiet. He saw the bed and the blanket that Draco had transfigured for him and he smiled. He got up and changed everything back into its original form. He pocketed Draco's handkerchief and walked up to the writing table. He found a note tucked under the ink bottle. It was very brief, but it set his heart racing.

_I hope you slept well. I can't wait to see you again, my love_.

D.

And then the memories came back.  _Did I really tell Draco that I love him? It's true. I do. Though I guess I didn't realise it until I actually said it. I love him,_ Harry thought dazedly as remembered Draco kissing him softly and saying those words back to him...It filled him with warmth and the kind of joy that made him feel as if his heart was going to burst.

**...**

Harry told Ginny about the job at Hogwarts that night. She wasn't too happy about it, but he'd expected that, so he wasn't surprised or put out.

"I know that your life is no longer my business, Harry, but really why would you give up being the head auror to teach? You already turned down an offer to be the next minister...it's like you're trying to make your life as narrow and small as possible. It is your choice of course, but I really don't get it."

"You don't get it because I have almost never asserted myself and stood up for what I want. I've always done whatever it was that I saw as my duty. So of course this is hard to understand. And you're right. I do want to make my life a little smaller and lot less public."

Ginny shook her head at him. "I'm never going to understand you, Harry," she said.

"So now you'll be with the kids all the time," she said after a minute and then she sighed. "That's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but..."

"But what?"

"They already don't need me for anything. I know that they'll choose to live with you when they hear about the divorce and...I guess I'm afraid that if you go to Hogwarts, I'll lose them entirely or something..."

"Of course you're not going to lose them."

"That's easy for you to say, Harry. But I've never had much of a bond with them. I know that it's my own fault. I was the one..." Ginny said and then she sighed. "I'm still the one who puts my job above everything else, but I love our kids and I want them in my life. And I guess I'm afraid that they don't want me as much...In fact, I have this feeling that they'll be upset about the divorce at first, but then they'll get used to it and soon they won't even notice that I'm not here."

Harry just looked at her without saying anything.

"You think so too, huh?" Ginny said in a voice full of regret.

"Yeah...I don't like saying it, but you're right. They're not going to miss you. Not unless you start making an effort. Look Gin, they're good kids and they love you, but they're used to not having you around, so they don't miss you. You just need to make more of an effort, that's all..."

"I hope you're right, Harry. I hope I haven't left it too late..."

...

**A/N: I really need to know what you think, so go on, leave me a review.**


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this has taken so long. It was a difficult chapter to write and real life has been a bit overwhelming. Again, I’m sorry I haven’t been replying to your reviews. But I loved every single one of them. So please keep them coming.

And finally it was time. Three days after Albus' birthday and three days before Christmas. The timing was about as bad as it could get. But they had no choice. They had to tell their kids before Christmas...before the entire family got together and the truth became impossible to hide. It was a moment that they had both been dreading and the closer it got, the harder it was to deal with. They put it off as long as they could. They sat stoically through dinner, silent and thoughtful and hardly able to say anything. Their children noticed of course, and they asked them what was wrong.

So Harry and Ginny told them. They didn't build up to it or try to break it to them gently. They told them the truth in very simple words.

"We're unhappy together. We want to get a divorce."

There was absolute silence for a couple of minutes. The kids were stunned. They found themselves unable to process what they were hearing. James frowned, his thoughts an uneasy jumble in his head. Lily blinked a couple of times and looked from her father to her mother and back again...they were unhappy together? How was that even possible?

Albus looked thoughtfully at his parents. He'd always known that they weren't particularly close...his mother was away so much of the time that it had probably never been possible for them to be close or to rely on each other emotionally. But they had always seemed content, comfortable with their situation and with each other...though he had been wondering lately, how it was possible that they could stay away from each other so much of the time and still be happy. _And now it turns out that they haven’t been happy. But how come none of us saw it?_ He wondered _._

The silence stretched uncomfortably. James was the first to break it.

"You're unhappy together..." he said, looking from his father to his mother. He was obviously still trying to process those words.

"Yes," Harry said softly.

"Why?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, wondering how to answer that question. "We've grown apart over the years," Ginny said. "We're a little too different from each other and we're finding it harder and harder to get along."

"But...you've always seemed content," James said.

"And you hardly ever fight," Lily added.

"The fact that we don't fight doesn't mean that we get along," Harry said. "We've just got really good at staying out of each other's way."

"What do you mean you've grown apart? How? In what way?" James said.

"We started out being a little too different from each other and not realising it...and it just got worse," Ginny said softly.

_I can certainly relate to that,_  James thought.  _That's what all my problems with Jennifer are about..._

"But it can't have taken you twenty years to figure out that you're not very compatible," Albus said with a frown.

"It...didn't take us twenty years," was all that Harry would say to that.

"So you're saying that you've been unhappy all this time," Lily said.

"Yes."

"Why? You keep saying that you're too different from each other...so what? That doesn't have to prevent you from being happy together," Lily said.

"It doesn't have to, but in our case, it has. We're miserable and we can't carry on like this anymore, staying out of each other's way as far as possible, living our own lives and pretending to be happy..." Harry said.

They all fell silent for a while. "This is a bit out of the blue," Albus said finally.

"I know," Harry said. "We're really sorry about that."

"Why now?" Lily asked.

"No reason...other than that we couldn't deal with it anymore," Ginny said.

"I'm sorry if this is impertinent, but have you tried to work it out?" Albus asked.

"Yes. And we've failed. We want different things from life and we're both constantly pulling in opposite directions and getting frustrated. We're just not meant to be together," Harry said.

"But you've been together for twenty years...surely that means something," James said.

Harry sighed. "It does. But it doesn't mean that we should stay together. I know this is hard for you to understand and we're really sorry it's come to this, but it has...we're unhappy and we can't be together anymore..."

No one had anything to say to that. James got up after a while..."Mum, dad, no offence, but I think this is really stupid," he said and he would have stalked off, but Harry stopped him.

"I understand why you feel like that, Jamie, but stalking off is not going to help anyone. I know you're upset and I'm sorry, but you're going stay right here and we're going to talk. This is a decision that affects us as a family and we're going to deal with it together."

"Doesn't make any sense to me either," Lily muttered.

Albus stared thoughtfully at his parents. "I'm trying to understand, but this is difficult," he said.

"I know and we're sorry to spring it on you like this, but it had to be done," Ginny said.

"Why mum? Why can't you guys work it out?"

"We can't, Lily. And we've tried. Why else do you think we stayed together all these years?"

"We've been living separate lives for so long and we've been pretending to be happy...we're exhausted," Harry said. "And this is something that we both want."

"I think we'll be happier as friends than we’ve ever been as a couple," Ginny added.

"So we have no choice but to accept it?" Lily said.

"Unfortunately, yes," her father replied.

They talked for a long time that night. Once the kids got over the initial shock, they started to take in what their parents were actually saying and they began to understand, but they were still quite far from being able to accept it.

"All of you are or have been in relationships, haven't you?" Harry asked at one point.

The kids nodded. "Tell me, what would you do if you found yourself in a relationship that's just not working? You talk and you try to fix it, but no matter what you do, things don't work out? Would you hold on to that relationship forever? Just because you happened to get together?"

"No," James replied ruefully. He was, after all, in the middle of a relationship that was getting harder and harder to live with. He cared about Jenny a great deal, but it was difficult to continue to be together when they were fighting all the time.

"Stop thinking of us as mum and dad for a moment. We are that, but we're also a couple whose relationship is not working...and we're individuals who have every right to want to be happy..." Harry said.

"And if going our own separate ways can make us happy, it is not such a bad thing," Ginny added.

"Besides, the divorce will change our relationship...we'll no longer be a couple. But it doesn't have to affect us as a family. There's nothing bitter about this divorce and your mum and I are not fighting, so we can work things out so nothing much changes for you guys," Harry said.

That led to another long and thoughtful silence. It was nearly two in the morning. The ticking of the clock was particularly loud in the middle of all that silence. Ginny went into the kitchen to brew another round of coffee for everyone. She and Harry had decided that they were going to be cheerful and normal around the kids while they discussed all of this. They wanted their kids to see and understand that they were happy about the divorce...it was a change, but it wasn't bad.

"So...what happens now?" James asked after a bit. "I mean, who moves out? And where do we stay and...you know."

"I'm going to move out," Ginny said softly. "I've found a flat in London."

"When...are you planning to move out?" Lily asked in a slightly choked voice.

"After the holidays," Ginny said as she put her arm around her daughter and held her close.

"So this is our last Christmas as a family, then," Albus said.

"Of course not!" Harry said emphatically. "The divorce will change things for me and your mum, but we'll still be a family. I promise you that."

"Does anyone else know about this?" Albus asked after a while.

"All the adults in the family know," Harry said.

"You told them before you told us!" Lily said indignantly.

"We didn't mean to," Ginny said. "I told Hermione...I wanted to talk to her about it and..."

"Uncle Ron told everyone else," Albus said.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Have they tried to talk you out of it?"

"Of course."

"You guys are not about to change your minds, are you?" Albus said, looking from his father to his mother.

"No," Harry said as gently as he could.

"We're really sorry," Ginny said.

"It's okay, I guess," Albus said.

"If you're not happy together, there's nothing you can do, I suppose," Lily said in a small voice, as James nodded. He understood better than his siblings what it was like to be in a relationship that is just not working. And to think that his parents had stuck it out for so long...it wasn't fair at all to expect them to continue to be together.

...

None of them got much sleep that night. So it was pretty late by the time they sat down to breakfast the next morning. They were all a bit subdued. The idea that their parents were soon going to be divorced, had sunk in somewhat, but it was still a bit surreal.

"I'm going to go out for a bit," James said. "I'm going to meet up with Louis and Fred. I...um...can tell them about this?"

"Sure," Harry replied.

"Thanks."

"I want to go see Rosie and Hugo," Lily said.

"I'll come with you," Ginny said. "I could use a bit of Hermione's general good sense today."

"What about you Al?" Harry asked.

"I want to go see Scorpius," Albus said.

"Go where?" Ginny said with a frown.

"Malfoy manor."

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, probably to protest, but Harry stopped her with a look.

"Sure, Al."

"But Harry!"

"It's okay, Gin. I'll go with him. It'll do me good to see Draco, anyway," he muttered.

Ginny frowned, but she didn't say anything.  _I'll never understand how Harry can be_   _friends with Malfoy,_ she thought, but she knew better than to say anything. She contented herself with a stiff and slightly disapproving nod, which Harry, of course, ignored completely.

...

Draco and Scorpius were sitting in the morning room of Malfoy manor. It was a large room on the first floor and it was their favourite room in the house because two of its walls were made almost entirely of glass and that made it the brightest and warmest room in the manor. I had a large fireplace, a beautifully carved mantelpiece and was painted a sunny yellow. It was one of the few rooms in the house that was free of Malfoy family portraits, so it was actually possible to be in there and be peaceful and almost entirely private. Even the house elves never came in unless it was absolutely necessary.

Draco was sitting in the armchair with his feet resting on the coffee table ( a posture that his father would have reproved on account of it being too relaxed and not erect enough. His mother would've gently reminded him that the coffee table was an antique...) Draco smiled as these thoughts occurred to him. He had a book in his hand but he wasn't really able to read. He mind had begun to wander a few minutes ago and now he sat there thinking through his memories as he gazed fondly at his son who was sprawled on the couch opposite, reading intently.

Draco looked up when there was a knock on the door...the house elves didn’t usually knock. "Come in!" He said and he nearly fell off his chair in surprise when Harry and Albus walked in.

"What? How?" Draco spluttered.

"You left your floo open to me and I was able to convince your house elves to let us come find you," Harry said.

"Charmed them, you mean," Draco said dryly.

"Well, maybe I did," Harry said as he walked into the room followed by Albus. Harry was smiling, but he had a sad look in his eyes that Draco did not miss. That combined with the slightly pensive look on Albus' face told him everything he needed to know. Scorpius tossed his book aside and came to join them in the middle of the room for the ritual of hugs (for Albus and Scorpius) and handshakes (for Harry and Draco.) They stood around exchanging pleasantries for a few minutes and then Albus and Scorpius excused themselves.

Scorpius could see that Albus had something on his mind, so he took him to his room and then he locked and warded it, so they could talk in peace. Not that he thought either of their fathers would actually come up and disturb them, but still. He turned away from the door and drew Albus into a hug, feeling a bit surprised and concerned when Albus almost sagged against him.

"What is it, love?" He asked gently.

Albus didn't say anything. He quietly walked them to the bed, kicked off his shoes and lay down and then he drew Scorpius into the bed with him and lay on his side with his arm thrown across Scorpius waist and his face buried in his neck. Scorpius understood that Albus wasn't ready to talk yet, so he let him be. He held him close and offered the silent comfort and closeness that Albus seemed to need...and then Albus started talking.

...

Harry and Draco waited a good five minutes after the boys had left, before shutting and locking the door and walking into each other's arms. They held each other tight for a couple of minutes and then, "I'm guessing you told the kids," Draco said.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"It went pretty much as expected I guess. They were shocked when we first told them and then they asked a few questions and told us we were being stupid and then they went into a bout of denial... Ginny and I explained ourselves as well as we could and we ended up talking all night. I think they understand now, though I'm not sure if they're ready to accept it yet."

"And you feel guilty," Draco said as he stepped back a little, so he could see Harry's face.

"Yeah, a bit," Harry admitted ruefully. "I know this is the right thing to do and Ginny does too, but that doesn't keep the process from being painful..."

"I know," Draco said and then he kissed Harry gently on his forehead.

Harry pulled Draco close to him again and held on as he felt all the bad feelings begin to slip away from him.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," Draco said. He led Harry to the couch and made him sit down. Harry lay down with his head on Draco's lap. Then he took Draco's hand and kissed it softly. Draco began to run his fingers gently through Harry’s hair...a gesture that Harry found very soothing.

“I’ll be so glad when all of this is over,’ Harry said. “I’m so tired of sneaking around.”

“Me too.”

“I know there’ll be all sorts of negative reactions when we finally tell everyone about us. I know we’ll get hurt, but none of that seems to matter all that much when I think how great it will be to be able to hold you and to kiss you without worrying about where we are and who might see us,” Harry said wistfully.

Draco leaned down and kissed Harry softly. “All in good time, love. All in good time,” he said. “Here and now, I couldn’t be happier. You’re here and you love me and we’re thinking of a future together...I can’t tell you how wonderful that feels.”

“Thank you,” Harry said.

“What for?”

“For insisting that we get together when we did. I don’t think I could’ve done any of this alone.”

“I told you I want to take care of you Harry. That’ll always be true.”

“Why is it always you taking care of me?”

“Right now, it’s because you’re the one who needs it. And if we’re going to start counting, then I’ll have to remind you that you that I owe you my life. Nothing I can do for you will ever compare to that...”

They sat in silence for a while as their minds wandered through long buried memories...Harry snuggled a bit closer to Draco as memories of the room of requirement and the   
fiendfyre rushed through his head.

“It seems that by saving you, I was doing myself a favour...” he muttered and Draco couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all.

They stayed there a long time that day, talking and kissing and holding on to each other. Neither of them wanted or needed anything more. They just needed to be close and to feel loved. Luckily for them, their sons were as absorbed in each other, if not more. So it was a long time before Albus and Scorpius came to find them and when they did, they found their father’s sitting peacefully in Draco’s study, talking and drinking like good friends and nothing more.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Albus and Scorpius talked about, we’ll find out in the next chapter. Now it is time to tell me what you think.
> 
> On a totally different note, I wrote a Harry/Draco fic for the hd smoochfest this year. It’s called ‘Vinculum’. It is now in my list of works on this website. So go take a look.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all your wonderful reviews. They make me want to keep writing. So keep them coming please. This story needs as much love as it can get. This is one of those stories that has truly grown in the telling and I can't believe that I've written fifty chapters and more than 115k words already. All thanks to my readers, particularly those of you who are kind enough to read and review every chapter as I write it.

Scorpius lay on his back with his arms about Albus, who was lying with his head pillowed on Scorpius' shoulder. That was his favourite position to sleep in. He'd missed it quite a bit in the last few days and agitated as he was, he found himself relaxing as Scorpius gently rubbed his back and kissed him on his forehead and told him to take his time. They stayed like that for a while and then Albus started to talk about everything that had happened the previous night.

"Mum and dad want to get a divorce," he began.

Scorpius was very surprised, but he didn't say anything. That was the best thing about him, according to Albus. He could listen without feeling the need to exclaim or react or express his opinion. It made it easier to talk.

"It was a shock to all of us. I mean, we know that mum and dad aren't particularly close, but I don't think any of us had a clue that they were actually unhappy with each other. They always seemed content..." Albus said frowning. He couldn't help thinking about all those times in the past few months that he'd thought that his dad seemed rather lonely and he felt terribly guilty now for not following up on that thought. "I should have asked him, Scor. I wondered, but I never asked him if he was okay. I feel so awful about that."

"There was no way you could've known, love," Scorpius said.

"Maybe not, but I could see that he was lonely, and yet I didn't talk to him about it."

"I don't think he would've told you even if you had asked him. He wouldn't have wanted you to worry."

"Yeah...But at least he would've known that I was concerned about him."

Albus was quiet for a while after that. He was thinking about everything that his parents had said the previous night...all the reasons for their unhappiness and he couldn't help but wonder how they had managed to stay together for so long, when they were so miserable with each other.  _And why?_ _Was it because of us?_

"It's not your fault," Scorpius said softly.

"I don't know how you do that," Albus said as he lifted his head to look at Scorpius.

"Do what?"

"Know exactly what I'm feeling."

"I know you and I know how you think...It's not your fault that your parents are unhappy and even if they did stay together because of you, that was their decision. There was no way you could've known or helped."

"I know that and yet I can't stop feeling guilty somehow," Albus said and then he sighed. "When mum and dad told us about the divorce last night, they were both afraid that we would be upset that they don't want to be together anymore and we were a bit, at first, but when they told us how bad things have been between them...all we could do was wonder how they had lasted as long as they did. So I'm honestly glad that they've decided to do this, but..."

"But what?"

"I can't help worrying about dad. He's obviously been very lonely for some time now and the divorce will only make it worse. He doesn't have a lot of friends and it is rather unfortunate that his friends are mum's friends too and his family are mum's family first. Not that they'll treat him badly or anything, but I can already see a hesitation in him where they're concerned. He's been avoiding everyone. I know him. He's going to find it hard to be comfortable around them, at least for a while. And even when all of this has blown over, he's going to feel a bit like an outsider and..." Albus broke off with a sigh.

"I can understand why he would feel like that," Scorpius said softly. "But he may not be as lonely as you think. I mean, he and my dad seem to have become very good friends over the last few months..."

"I know. I just hope he can talk to your dad about this, you know, because he really cannot talk to anyone else..."

Another silence followed that statement.

"I can't stop thinking about how unfair it is..." Albus said after a while. "My dad is a very good man and he's had a difficult life and he's lost so much and he's done so much for all of us. And...he deserves to be happy. It kills me to know that he's been unhappy for years and all I've ever done is expect things from him."

"I know you feel guilty, love, but you don't have to. He's your dad. Of course you expect him to look out for you and take care of you. I guess you just need to make him understand that you're not a kid any more and that sometimes, he can lean on you too."

"Yeah..." Albus went into another thoughtful silence after that. He snuggled up to Scorpius and held him a little tighter.  _There's something else that's bothering him,_ Scorpius thought _. And he's not able to bring himself to say it._

"Al, how come you haven't mentioned your mother so far? Aren't you concerned about her?"

Albus didn't say anything for a minute.

"Al..."

Albus shook himself out of his thoughts and sat up. "Not really, no. Mum loves her job, she's got a lot more friends than dad and unlike him, she's gregarious and outgoing, so she's always making new friends...and she has her family. She'll be fine. She'll never be lonely, she'll never not have someone to talk to. So she doesn't need me to worry about her," Albus said, the bitterness evident in his voice.

"Do you...blame your mum for the divorce?"

"No. It's clear that they're making each other unhappy and they both want out. And I'm totally for it. But.."

"But what?"

"This whole divorce thing has made me think...It's brought up a lot of uncomfortable questions and...I find myself resenting my mum. I don't want to feel that way, but I can't seem to help it and then I feel guilty for feeling like that about my mother, but then I'm angry with her as well...It is all so confusing, Scor!"

Scorpius couldn't begin to imagine what it must be like to feel all those things about your own mother...he sighed. He sat up and kissed Albus on his forehead and then he gently tilted Albus' head upward so he could look at his face properly...he saw the pain and the confusion in Albus' eyes and it made his heart ache.

"What are you angry about, love?"

"You know all these years, I've ignored it," Albus said. "I've assumed that dad will always be around to take care of us and I've accepted that mum won't. And it didn't matter much because dad is so damn giving that I never really felt like I was missing a parent...But now I find myself wondering why it had to be dad all the time. Why was mum not around? I know that her job keeps her busy and she's always travelling, but is it so bad that she can't make time even for things that are important?"

"She wasn't here when we came home for the holidays. She almost never is. She only turned up on the morning of my birthday and then she made me cry. She said such hurtful things, all in the name of concern." Albus got off the bed and started pacing. Scorpius understood that Albus needed to get it all out, so he stayed where he was and listened.

"Maybe she was concerned, but did she have to be quite so harsh and couldn't she have let it go for that day? But she didn't and Dad was stuck trying to make her understand and to make things a little better for me. Why should he always be the one who has to fix everything? Why is he the one taking care of us all the time? Doesn't mum have a responsibility as well? Sure he never asks for help, but that doesn't mean she can't offer it."

"And now I'm asking all sorts of questions. When was the last time that mum and I had an actual conversation, just the two of us? I don't remember. And I may be wrong, but I don't exactly get the impression that my mum wants to spend time with me and to be honest, I don't particularly want to spend time with her either and isn't there something wrong with that? Already we see hardly anything of her and now she's going to move out. I can't help wondering if we'll see her at all after that and I can't bring myself to feel bad about it and that just makes me feel terrible, like I'm failing in my duty to love my mother or something."

"Do James and Lily feel like this as well?"

"I don't know and I can't ask them either. It'll feel too much like I'm bad mouthing my mother..."

"You should talk to your mother, love," Scorpius said.

"I can't. It's too late and I don't think she cares, really."

Albus stopped pacing then and he stood in the middle of the room looking lost. Scorpius decided that it was best not to say anything just then. So went to Albus and he drew him close and held him tight.

...

It was a couple of hours later. Albus and Scorpius had joined their fathers in Draco's study. They had a couple of butterbeers, while Harry and Draco had some wine. Then they all went downstairs for dinner. Scorpius wanted to show Albus around the manor and Harry wanted to see it as well, so they walked around looking though all the rooms until they stepped into the ball room. It was grand and ornate and somewhat imposing. But it was also rather beautiful. Harry and Draco stood by the door while Albus and Scorpius walked into the room, holding hands and looking around.

Scorpius put his arm around Albus' waist and drew him close. "Someday, when I finally marry you, I'm going to dance with you right here," he whispered.

Albus smiled. "I like that thought...I can actually see it in my head," he said as he turned and kissed Scorpius lightly on his lips.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"What for?" Scorpius said.

"For being there, for holding me, for letting me rant...for everything. I feel so much better now. I love you."

"I love you too."

Harry and Draco watched their sons in silence for a while. "Do you think Al is okay?" Harry said after a bit. "He's been rather quiet since last night."

"He does look like he has something on his mind," Draco said. "Why don't you just ask him?"

"I'm not sure he'll tell me. He usually tells me everything, but now he'll probably be worried that I already have too much on my mind and keep it to himself."

"Hmmm...Tell you what? I'll take Albus with me after dinner, to show him my potions lab. It'll give you a chance to talk to Scorpius. He'll tell you."

They had no idea that their sons were having a similar conversation on the other side of the room.

"Do you think dad's alright?" Albus said, as he glanced at his father. "He looks okay, but you can never tell with him. He's too used to keeping things to himself. I usually have to dig and dig before he'll tell me anything."

"And in this situation, he'll probably insist that he's fine, right?" Scorpius said. "Why don't you just ask my dad? I'm sure he'll tell you."

And so it was that Albus and Harry watched each other surreptitiously over dinner, each wanting to make sure that the other was fine. Draco and Scorpius did their best to keep the conversation light and interesting and soon the other two were drawn into it as well and dinner went by comfortably, with a bit of banter, laughter and some genuinely good conversation. They went into the parlour after dinner and continued to talk. After a while, Draco turned to Albus and asked him if he would like to see his potions lab. Albus agreed and they left the room together.

Harry and Scorpius were siting in arm chairs, facing each other. Harry glanced at the boy in front of him and smiled. "Thank you," he said.

"What for?"

"For taking care of Al. He's really lucky to have you."

Scorpius smiled in response.

"How is he?" Harry asked.

"He's okay."

"Is he upset about the divorce?"

"No. He understands...he's totally fine with it, in fact. It's just that he can't stand the thought that you've been unhappy and he's a bit upset with himself because he didn't see it," Scorpius said. He decided not to mention anything that Albus had said about his mum. If Harry knew about it, he'd want to fix it and Scorpius could see that the man did not need another problem to deal with.

"He's a good kid," Harry said.

"Yeah...How are you dealing with all of this?" Scorpius said.

Harry was surprised by that question. "I'm fine. I'm a bit stressed out, but I'm okay otherwise."

"Al is worried that you have no one to talk to..."

"That was true a couple of months ago, but now I have your dad. He's a good friend."

"I'm glad you two became friends, you know. Dad's been lonely a long time. He has friends, but no one that he's really close to."

"I could say the same about myself," Harry said looking thoughtful.

"You two are more alike than you realised, huh?"

Harry smiled. "Yeah. I can't believe it sometimes. We used to be such bitter rivals at school. Draco was..." Harry hesitated "rather different when we were at school."

"He was an obnoxious prat, you mean," Scorpius said, with a chuckle, much to Harry's surprise. "It's okay. That's how he describes himself and from all the things that he's told me, I'd say he's right."

"I guess that's what I admire about him," Harry said. "He made mistakes. He did some frankly dreadful things, but he picked himself up and moved on. He's changed...so much. It's not easy to accept your mistakes and your flaws and to go about changing yourself. And Draco hasn't just changed, he's remade himself, that too in a world that was decidedly against him."

"It's good to hear you say that," Scorpius said. "There are not too many people who are willing to see that he's changed or to give him the credit that he deserves. It's like they cannot see beyond the Dark Mark."

"I understand exactly how that feels..." Harry said with a wry smile.

"Dad always wanted to make amends, you know. He wanted to do be able to do something for you...I'm glad you gave him a chance."

Harry smiled at bit ruefully at that. He was all too aware of everything that Draco had done for him.  _If Draco and I hadn't become close, I wouldn't have questioned my life or my choices,_ he thought _. I would have gone on, living in that emptiness, staying in my failure of a marriage because I thought it was my duty to stay and working at a job that I hate, even though it was consuming my life and not realising that I was distancing myself from my kids..._ _And I would never have known what it feels like to be in love._

Harry had been in love with Ginny when he married her, he'd thought so, at least, but he had never felt anything like the passion, desire and sheer need that he now felt for Draco.

 _I may have saved Draco's life, but he's made mine worth living,_ he thought _._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taken me over a week to update...again. But things have settled down somewhat and I hope to have the next chapter done in two to three days at the most. So go on, leave me a review.


	51. Chapter 51

When he had come back from France six years ago, Draco had turned the small parlour at the back of the manor into a potions lab. It was nearly as big as his lab at Hogwarts and while he didn't have access to as many ingredients at home that he did at school, he still had enough to work on his experimental potions and Neville nearly always helped him out with any plants and herbs that he might need, Draco explained to Albus as they made their way to the lab.

"What potion are you working on now?" Albus asked.

"A variant of Skele-gro."

"What are you trying to change?"

"I'm trying to develop a variant that will heal tissue damage as well."

"Which ingredients are you substituting?"

"The Gurdy root and the Tentacula venom. I've used Acacia bark and Ashwinder eggs, instead..."

"But wouldn't that make the potion unstable?"

"It would. So I tried to balance that with a bit of dragon's blood."

"Did that help?"

"Well it stabilised the potion, but it made it less effective. So now I'm experimenting with varying the proportion of the ingredients..." Draco said and they got into a technical discussion that went on for a while as Albus looked around the lab.

"It's lovely," he said. "I like the way you've organised the ingredients, you know, by their properties. It's so much smarter than it all being alphabetical."

"I'm nothing if not smart, Albus," Draco drawled. "Which is why I know that you're trying to figure out how to ask me about your dad. And just so you know, Harry told me about the divorce...on the day that he and your mother made the decision, in fact."

"Oh good!" Albus said. He sounded relieved. "I was afraid that he was keeping it all to himself. So...is he okay? I could ask him myself, but I know that he'll say he's fine, whether that's actually true or not."

"He's okay. But this is a stressful time for him. And it's only going to get worse as everyone begins to find out...But there's no need to worry. Harry is one of the strongest people I've ever known and he'll get though this...and I'll do whatever I can to help him."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. I've wanted to be his friend since I was eleven and I'm just glad I finally have the chance."

**...**

It was nearly ten in the night when Harry and Albus got up to leave. Neither of them wanted to go,  _but staying isn't exactly an option_ , Harry thought as he stood by the floo and glanced at Draco, wishing with all his might that he could just go to bed with his arms about Draco and rest for once. He was so tired...And he knew that he would spend the night tossing and turning in bed, just as he had every night for the past week.

He was about to step into the floo when Draco caught him by the wrist and stopped him. "Just a minute, Harry," he said and then he pressed a vial into hid hand..."Dreamless sleep," he said. "Just for tonight."

"Thanks," Harry said and then he shot Draco a look of such longing that Draco thought his knees would buckle. Luckily for them, Albus and Scorpius were too absorbed in a goodnight kiss to notice. Draco pulled Harry into a quick and hopefully what seemed like a manly, friendly hug. "I love you, he whispered, so softly that Harry barely heard him. Harry nodded briefly and then he stepped through the floo and into his living room. Albus followed. They found Ginny sitting on the couch and going over an article that was due the next day. She looked up at them and seemed about to say something, then she stopped herself and went back to her work.

"Where are Jamie and Lily?" Harry asked as he took off his cloak.

"Up in Jamie's room," Ginny said.

"Okay," Harry said and then he started walking up the stairs. Albus couldn't help but notice the indifference that was obvious in the way his parents spoke to each other and wondered how he had missed it before. He made to follow his dad up the stairs, but Ginny stopped him.

"How are you, Al?" she said.

"I'm fine,"  _Not that you care,_  he thought.

"We haven't had a chance to talk since your birthday," Ginny said.

"Yeah..." He had no desire to talk to his mum just then and he was hoping she would just let him go to his room. He was afraid of what he might say otherwise.

"Is everything okay?" Ginny asked.

"It's fine, mum. Everything is just peachy," Albus said. "Now if you don't mind, I'll just go to bed. I'm really tired."

"But Al..."

"Goodnight mum," Albus said and then he went up the stairs without looking back.

Ginny was taken aback. Albus hadn't been a rude exactly, but he'd brushed her off. She was used to that kind of behavior from James and Lily, but Albus had always been the gentle one. But ever since his birthday, there had been a bit of a strain between them... _and I_   _haven't addressed it,_  she thought with a pang of guilt.  _And now there's all_   _the drama about the divorce._   _Is he upset about that?_  she wondered. He'd seemed quite understanding the previous night. _..but now it feels as if he's upset._ Ginny didn't know what to make of it and she couldn't let it go either.

She thought about it for a while and then she decided to ask Harry. _He'll know_   _if something's wrong,_  she thought and then she put her work aside and went to find him. He was in his bedroom...he'd already washed and changed into his pyjamas and... _he's asleep? Already? That's not possible,_ Ginny thought and then she saw the vial on the bedside table. She opened it and sniffed.  _Dreamless sleep_. It was a potion that she was very familiar with.

_Malfoy must have given it to him,_ she thought _. So Harry told him that he's been having trouble sleeping. He must have told him about the divorce as well...I guess they're even better friends than I'd thought. Still can't get my head around it though. Harry and Malfoy...friends?_ She sighed and left the room. She stood outside wondering if she should go to Albus and ask him what was wrong.  _But then he made it so clear that he doesn't want to talk. Maybe I should just respect that and leave it until the morning,_  she thought and then she went back downstairs to finish her work.

**...**

Harry woke up the next morning feeling rested and totally relaxed. He got up a stretched and the he smiled when he saw the owl tapping impatiently on his window. It was a Red Scops owl,  _and she's every bit as exotic and good-looking as her master,_  he thought as he opened the window and let her in. She held out her leg and he untied the roll of parchment and offered her an Owl Treat in exchange. He got back into bed, opened the parchment and started reading.

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope you slept well and that you're feeling a bit better now. There is no real reason for this letter except that it felt as if there were a lot of things left unsaid between us when you left last night and I feel a desperate need to say them..._

_I love you, Harry. I love you so very much._ _I think about you all the time and I feel like I want to share every thought and every little experience with you. But what I want more than ever is to wake up next to you every morning. To take care of you and have you take care of me. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I feel like it. I want to make love to you every night and I want to feel your heart beat softly against mine as you go to sleep in my arms._

_Do you know how beautiful you look when you're asleep? I can't help staring at you and feeling breathless. I love you, Harry and I am still awed by the thought that you love me. I've never been in love before so I had absolutely no idea what it would feel like. It feels like flying...that fierce rush of joy that I have only ever found in the air, I now find every time I look into your eyes. You make me feel like I'm flying, Harry and I love you so very much._

_Draco._

Harry read that letter and then he read it again and then he went to his table, took up a quill and a parchment and then he started writing.

_My dear Draco,_

_I read your letter and now I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. You have, quite effortlessly, reduced me to a happy pile of mush. Reading your letter was the next best thing to waking up with you. I cannot wait for term to start so that we can go back to Hogwarts and be together again._

_I cannot wait for all the mess in my life to clear up so we can be together properly. I want to be able to tell the world that you're mine. I love you, Draco and I want you and need you more than you can ever imagine._

_I thought I was in love when I married Ginny...I don't know if the feeling was real or if I was just deluding myself. But I do know that what I felt then is not even a tiny fraction of what I feel for you. I love you so much that the mere thought of you can be overwhelming sometimes._

_I may have saved your life once, but you've made my life worth living._ _I love you with everything that I am._

_Harry._

Draco got this letter a couple of hours after he'd sent his and he read it and then he read it again and he totally understood what Harry had said about the lump in his throat and the tears in his eyes... _Damn you Harry! You're turning me into a total sap...and I bloody love it,_ he thought

...

Ginny had fully intended to speak to her son the next morning, but Albus had chosen to sleep in and by the time he was up, Ginny had to leave. She had to go to her office to drop off her article and then she had a meeting with her editor after which she had to go to the realtor and sign the lease on her new appartment...and then she and Harry were going to meet with the solicitor to officially file for divorce and...she had a lot on her mind, so her son got pushed to the back of it. _I'll talk to him tonight_ , she decided and then she left.

It was nearly lunch time when she finished that meeting with her editor which had run a bit longer than she'd expected it to. So she stopped at Barry's and grabbed a sandwich before she made her way to the realtors. They had everything ready for her. She read through the papers and found everything to be in order, so she signed them. It was a huge moment for Ginny when she made the payment and took the keys to her new apartment...for the first time in her life she had a home of her own. The home that she'd made with Harry had never been her home. It was his parent's house that he had restored and rebuilt. It was in a village that Harry felt a deep connection to. It was simple, warm and cosy, just the way that Harry liked it...it had never felt like her home, though she had called it that for the last twenty years of her life.

She left the realtors office with the keys of her new apartment jangling inside her bag and she had a realisation, an epiphany of sorts. This was the life that she had always wanted...the life of a single woman, focussed on her career and free to do as she pleased, go where she wanted, spend her money however she liked. A life with no duties and responsibilities. She was aware that a lot of people would find this rather selfish, her own mother would be appalled if she knew, but this wasn't about selfishness.

It was about being who she was. It was about being true to herself. Just because she was woman, it did not automatically mean that she was domestic or maternal. She'd thought at one time that she wanted to be married and to have kids, but she realised now that these hadn't been her own desires. They had just been things that she was expected to want. And she had really believed that she wanted a family until it actually became real and she realised that she didn't want to make the sacrifices that having a family entailed...sacrifices that Harry had made without a second thought, because having a family meant the world to him. It had been a shock to realise that, but she hadn't wanted to accept it.  _Of course I_   _want a family_ , she'd told herself.  _It's just that I want my career_   _too_.

She'd lived in that delusion for years, never once examining her actions or her choices which had always favoured her career over her family. Harry hadn't questioned her either. He hadn't liked her choices, but he'd never stood in the way of what she wanted. And they had gone on, each living their own lives, drawing further and further away from each other until they had no relationship left. Their marriage was long dead.  _All that remains is_   _to make it official_ , she thought as she walked the two blocks to the solicitor's office.

But that didn't make it any less sad. A part of their lives was ending and no matter how right the decision was, it was still a painful one. She sighed and continued to walk, keeping her eyes on the ground in front of her. She didn't really want to look at anyone just then. Harry was waiting for her outside the solicitor's office. It was at that moment that she was hit by the enormity of what they were about to do. A look at Harry confirmed that it was a difficult moment for him too. She felt her eyes fill with tears as he took her hands in his.

"We're doing the right thing aren't we?" she whispered.

"Yes," Harry replied, his eyes suspiciously bright.

"Then why is it so hard?"

"I don't know, Gin. It just is," Harry said as he squeezed his eyes shut in an effort not to cry. Ginny drew him into a hug and held him close while they took a moment to compose themselves. Then they walked into the solicitor's office and filled and signed all the paperwork necessary for the divorce. It was all pretty straightforward because Harry and Ginny had already agreed on all the important things. There was nothing left to discuss, no more decisions to make. The papers would be filed by the end of the day and in two months time they would be officially divorced...

...

A/N: Reviews make me want to write, so do take a moment to tell me what you think.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long. My muse has been hyper active of late and she's got me writing a new Harry/Draco story called 'When the time is right.' It is up on this site. I'm five chapters down on that one. Then I have a story I'm doing for the hd cliche fest that is due next week and I've signed up for two more fests. So I'm tied up and tied down, but I can't complain, because writing is pretty much my favourite thing in the world.
> 
> I'm going to keep writing this story, though and I will try to update at least once a week. Thank you all for staying with this story and for giving me such wonderful reviews. This is the first story that I've done for the Harry Potter fandom and I can't believe that it has turned out so well.

_24th December._

_Dear Draco,_

_It is nearly midnight and I should be in bed, but as usual, I can't asleep. There is just too much noise in my head, too many thoughts. It seems all the more loud when the house is so quiet. I miss you and I am tired of...well, nearly everything. I'm sorry I sound so gloomy, but I can't help it._

_Today has been awful. It was the annual Christmas Eve lunch at the Weasleys and I really did not want to be there, but Molly insisted and I couldn't say no. So I went and of course, all they wanted to talk about was the divorce. They spent hours trying to convince me and Ginny that we're making a big mistake._

_I am so tired of explaining myself and justifying my decision again and again._ _What makes it harder is that the Weasleys tend to ignore everything that Ginny says. It seems as if they cannot see her as anything other than the baby of the family who has to be coddled and protected._

_It doesn't seem to matter to them that Ginny wants out of this marriage too._ _Despite all our protests to the contrary, they are convinced that Ginny and I can only be happy if we're together. _I know that they're only acting out of concern, but it gets tedious after a while.__

_I was so relieved when I finally got back home. And then I found an owl waiting for me... with a letter from Kingsley saying that he simply cannot let me go for six months and that I should apologise to McGonagall and go back to work at the ministry at the end of my scheduled one month of leave._

_He is my boss and he has every right to refuse me leave if he chooses, but I hate that he's so...unthinking and unfeeling about it all._ _I have worked harder than anyone in that department. I wish Kingsley had at least asked me why I want to do this. I_ _hate the way he seems to assume that I will do as he says whether I want to or not._

_Anyway, I'm going to send in my resignation tomorrow. This isn't a hasty decision or one that is fuelled by anger. I've known for a while now that I don't want to go back being an auror. This is the push I needed to get out for good. If teaching doesn't work out for me, I'll do something else, but I am not going to go back to working for the ministry again._

_I'm sorry about all the ranting, but my life is weighing a bit heavily on me at the moment and I'm tired of it all. Sometimes I wish I could just go away for a while, get away from everything and everyone for a few days. Imagine being someplace where it is just you and me and there's nothing to do and nowhere to be...Now that is something worth dreaming about._

_Ginny and I filed for divorce yesterday. In two months time, it will all be over and we can be together properly. Though I honestly don't know if I can actually wait that long to tell everyone. I love you and it is getting harder and harder to hide it. Please write to me and tell me that you're thinking about me._

_All my love,_

_Harry._

_**...** _

25th December

Dear Harry,

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with everything. But things will sort themselves out soon enough. I can see how the Weasleys would be concerned about you and Ginevra. But if you stick to your guns and do what is right for you, they will have to get used to it and accept it.

I understand your desire to go away somewhere for a while. I want that too. A few days of uninterrupted time together is exactly what we need. Ever since we got together, all we've had are snatches of time together, glimpses of what being together will be like and each little encounter leaves me wanting more. There is no chance of us actually getting away any time soon, but I hope we can make it more than a dream someday.

I know that two months feels like a long time to wait and there are times when I find myself getting impatient, but it makes sense to wait. You don't need any more stress in your life than you already have. And coming out with our relationship will be a lot more stressful than your divorce. I don't much care what anyone thinks, but I hope that your kids will understand.

About your decision to resign, I can only say that I'm happy. It is about time you quit. You've obviously been unhappy with your job for months now and you've been working entirely too hard. I know that you have your doubts, but trust me when I tell you that teaching is just the kind of work that you'll love. And I know you'll be good at it.

The one thing that a teacher needs more than anything else is charisma and you have it in spades. Students only respect you when they believe that you know what your talking about. And who could know more about Defence or about fighting dark arts than Harry Potter, the boy who did the impossible many times over? You will be an inspiration to the students, Harry and you can make a big difference to their education and their lives. Just trust yourself.

Of course, I'm thinking about you, love. I think about you all the time and I'm waiting for the day when all I have to do is look up when I want to see you. I love you.

Draco.

...

_25th December_

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I hope your Christmas is going better than mine. I'm sure you've seen the article by now, but I don't think you can imagine how chaotic it is here. Every single Weasley has been through the floo asking why mum and dad didn't tell them that they had already filed for divorce. There are owls upon owls, some of them from friends, but mostly from people we don't know. They all read the 'Prophet' and they are all unable to believe that the 'Golden couple' is getting a divorce. Mum is upset and Dad is furious. They think that someone at the solicitor's office took the story to the 'Prophet.' I haven't seen them yet, but it seems that 'The Wizarding Times' and 'The Quibbler' ran the story as well._

_Dad is starting to look really worn out. I don't think he's been sleeping well at all and he was telling me this morning that he just wants to get away from everything for a while. I don't blame him. Honestly, I don't know how he can put up with so many people watching him all the time and commenting on every single thing he does._

_Mum and I had a long talk last night. She seems to have noticed that I've been a bit out of sorts lately and she realised that it had something to do with her. I was reluctant to talk to her initially, but then Jamie and Lily joined us and it seems they have the same concerns that I do. Somehow, just knowing that made it easier to talk._

_It was obvious that mum was hurt when we told her that we don't feel like we have much of a relationship with her because she's never around, but much to my surprise, she did not try to defend herself. In_ _fact, she agreed with everything that we said and she apologised. That was completely unexpected. She says that she knows she's messed up and that she wants to do better. I don't know if that will ever happen, but let's just say that I appreciate the sentiment._

_I miss you and I hope I'll see you at the Burrow tomorrow. Grandma Molly told me that she's invited you to our Boxing day party. I think she feels bad for ignoring you all these years. Please write to me and say you'll come. I want to give you your Christmas present in person just so I can see your face when you open it...so you will have to wait until tomorrow. I love you and I hate that I have to use an owl to talk to you._

_Albus._

_**...** _

25th December.

My dear Albus,

I got the invite for the Boxing day party yesterday and of course, I'll be there. I want to give you your gift in person too, so it is just as well. I'm sorry to hear that you're not having much of a Christmas this year. We're having a fairly quiet day...it's just me and Dad, though the elves insist on decorating the manor and cooking a proper feast. Dad always tells them that it is too much food for two people, but they never listen. "It is Christmas in Malfoy Manor, Master," they say, as if that justifies everything. Aunt Pansy, Uncle Ryan and Violet are going to come over for dinner in just a bit, so we're hoping to make a bit of a dent in the food.

I'm glad you talked to your mother. As you say, nothing may come of it, but at least you put it out there instead of keeping it inside and letting it fester.

I miss you too. I will be so glad when we're back at Hogwarts and we don't have to use owls or floos to talk to each other. More than anything else, though, I miss going to sleep with you every night.

All my love,

Scorpius.

**...**

_25th December._

_Dear Draco_ ,

_The kids are going to be spending the day at the Burrow tomorrow and Al told me that Scorpius is going to be there as well. So do you think we could meet? I can think of nothing better than spending a whole day with you._

_Harry._

**...**

25th December.

Dear Harry,

Come over to the manor at about eleven tomorrow. Scorpius will be gone by then. I want to take you somewhere and before you ask me, I'm not going to tell you where. Let's just say that I want us to get away from everything even it is only for a day. I love you.

Draco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know this chapter is a bit short. It is an interlude more than anything else. Next chapter is Harry and Draco's first date and then we'll catch up with all our other couples at the Boxing day party. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you again for all your wonderful reviews. I'm sorry I couldn't reply, but that was because I was busy writing this. Harry and Draco did not want to wait another week for their date. "Write it now!" they said and well, who am I to keep them apart?

It was the morning of the next day. The papers continued to be full of speculation about the Potter-Weasley divorce and the owls kept flying in all through breakfast, even as Harry and Ginny collected the letters and incinerated them. It was almost a repeat of the previous day, but it wasn't as irritating; it even started to look funny after a while. They were all in a fairly good mood...the kids were looking forward to seeing their friends and having a party. Harry was looking forward to being with Draco and Ginny was looking forward to spending the day at her mother's house, doing exactly as she pleased.

She wanted to go back to her old room and spend a day looking through all those things that she had prized as a child and a teen...she somehow felt a need to reconnect with the girl that she had once been. She wanted a day of nostalgia before she moved out of her house and her marriage and into a new and hopefully better life. She knew that her mother would be looking for every opportunity to nag her, but she was sure that with so many kids in the house, her mother wouldn't really have the time.

Ginny and the kids got ready to leave right after breakfast. It was going to be an all day party, starting with a game of Quidditch and they were really looking forward to it all. Albus was reluctant to leave Harry alone at home, so Harry told him that he wasn't going to be alone, that he was in fact, going to be spending the day with Draco. Albus had brightened visibly at that. James and Lily had looked a bit relieved as well, though they seemed a bit puzzled by his choice of companion.

They knew of course, that Harry and Draco were friends and they were aware that the two of them had become rather close, of late and they were happy about it...they knew that their dad needed a friend right now who was neither a Weasley not married to one. But they didn't know Draco the way that Albus did. To them he was the stern and formal Professor Malfoy, a man who didn't seem like he would be fun to be around. But if that was who their dad wanted to spend time with, it was fine with them. Anything was fine with them so long as it meant that Harry wasn't going to alone at home, brooding over things that he couldn't change.

Ginny had frowned, but she hadn't said anything. She didn't like it, but Harry had made it abundantly clear that it was none of her business where he went or who he chose to be with, so she let it go. Harry saw them off and then he went up to his bedroom, took a long bath and got dressed and then he disapparated, only to appear in the living room of Malfoy Manor a few seconds later. Draco was standing by the window and looking out into the garden when he heard the crack of Apparition. He turned around and he smiled. Harry smiled back and waited as Draco crossed the long room and drew him into a hug. He let out a relieved sigh the moment Draco wrapped his arms around him.

"I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too," Draco said as he nuzzled against Harry's neck.

It was a gesture that made Harry feel all warm and fuzzy. He could feel all his tension and stress melting away as he stood in the warm circle of Draco's arms. He felt loved and cherished...it was an unfamiliar feeling and he found it a bit overwhelming. He didn't think he would ever get used to it.

Draco, for his part, wondered at the rush of feelings that he had every time that he found himself in Harry's arms. There was just something so passionate and possessive about the way Harry held him...like he never wanted to let go. It made Draco's stomach flutter and his heart twist in the nicest way possible.

They held each other for a couple of minutes, just wanting to be close. Then they pulled away for a moment only to reach for each other again...with their lips this time. They pressed their lips together in the briefest and most chaste of kisses, but even that was enough to set their hearts racing. Then they began to kiss in earnest, opening up to each other and letting their feelings and all their pent up passion take over until it felt as if nothing and no one existed in that moment other than the two of them.

It was a while before they were able to stop. They collapsed on to the couch, still holding each other close as they tried to catch their breaths. Harry lay on his back while Draco lay on his side with his head resting on Harry's chest. Harry ran his fingers through the silver blond hair splayed across his torso and wondered when he had last been so content.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Draco said as he ran his hand over Harry's chest, marvelling at how solid and perfect it felt under his fingers.

"You said you were going to take me somewhere," Harry said.

"I was...I will, but I'm...a bit distracted at the moment," Draco said as he reached up and kissed Harry on his cheek and his chin, and all the way down his neck, relishing the way Harry moaned when he bit lightly at the base of his neck.

"Draco, not here," Harry said even as he arched up and turned his head a bit so as to give Draco better access.

Draco continued to kiss him as if he hadn't heard. Then he stopped and he pulled away a little, smiling as he took in Harry's dishevelled and flushed appearence. He smirked as he gently ran his thumb across Harry's lips.

"You're right," he said softly and then he kissed Harry lightly on his lips and pushed himself off the couch. "Let's go."

He held his hand out. Harry took the offered hand and got up. He still looked a bit dazed. Draco got what looked like a metal ring out of his pocket and held it out. Harry grabbed the ring and then he felt the familiar tug in his navel. He tightened his hold on Draco as they landed with a soft thud in an unfamiliar room. It was obviously a hotel room. There was a large bed at one end and a door oppsite, probably the en suite. There was a closet on the other side of the bed and then there was a couch, a couple of arm chairs and a small table. Harry looked around the modest room, surprised by how warm and cosy and downright homely it felt. It was such a contrast to the Manor.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"In a resort, on Mont Blanc. It's called Charmonix."

Harry's eyes widened. "We're in the French Alps?" he said.

Draco chuckled. He turned Harry around so he was looking at the window. He felt rather pleased with himself when Harry gasped. The view really was quite spectacular. The resort was located at the top of a sloping valley and from the window of their room, they could see the majestic Mont Blanc all covered with snow and ice...the sheer face of the mountain as it rose into the sky...it was an awesome sight.

"It's beautiful," Harry said as he leaned back against Draco. They stayed like that for a while, arms about each other, looking out at that incredible view, knowing somehow that this was a moment that they would remember forever.

Harry turned around after a while and gazed at Draco with all the love that he felt for him, shining through his eyes and lighting up his face. Draco couldn't believe how happy Harry looked. He realised only now how much it had hurt to see Harry looking tired and stressed out over the last few days.

"Thank you," Harry said softly.

"I'm glad you like it, love, but you don't have to thank me. I'd do anything to make you happy. This is nothing," Draco said.

"It may be nothing to you Draco, but it is a big deal for me...no one has ever done anything like this for me. It's so thoughtful and downright wonderful of you," Harry said and then he reached up and ran his fingers lightly along Draco's cheek. Then he moved his hand to the back of Draco's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. It was kiss that was full of feeling, desire and longing.

Draco could feel his heart pounding as he wound his arms around Harry and angled his head to deepen the kiss. Harry felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest as he felt Draco's tongue tangle with his own, making every inch of his body tingle and burn as he pressed himself closer.  _Closer..._ that was the only thought on Draco's mind as he lost himself in the feel of Harry's arms holding him in a vice like grip and the feeling of that solid chest against him as he ran is hands up and down Harry's back, wishing he could rip those clothes off...he wanted to touch Harry so badly.

It seemed that Harry was thinking along the same lines. "I want you," he said breathlessly as he unbuttoned Draco's jacket and pushed it off his shoulders.

"I want you too," Draco gasped, trying to keep his voice steady and failing miserably. He reached for Harry's jumper and pulled it off. They reached for each other's lips again, feeling quite unable to stay apart even for a moment. And then they were fumbling with their clothes and their socks and their shoes, desperate to get them off, desperate to touch and to feel and to love. And then Harry lost his patience and vanished their clothes...Draco stood there feeling dumbstruck as he looked Harry up and down and found himself falling in love all over again. "Harry you are gorgeous," he breathed as he reached out and ran his hand almost reverently down Harry's chest.

Harry was having trouble breathing as he looked at Draco..."You are so beautiful, oh my God!" he said as he looked up and down that slender body with all that pale skin that seemed to glow, almost. He put his arms around Draco and hugged him tight. Harry was very aroused and desperate to make love to this beautiful man but this was about so much more than sex. This was about giving himself unreservedly to this wonderful man who was so thoughtful and kind and loving and everything that Harry was not used to...Draco seemed to know what Harry was thinking and feeling. "I'm all yours, love. I'm all yours," he said as he began to run his arms up and down Harry's back and then he began to nibble on his ear, smiling when he felt a shudder go through him.

Harry stepped away from him pushed him into bed. Draco lay on his back while Harry settled himself in between his legs and then he moved and both of them arched and moaned at the contact and then they pretty much lost all control over themselves as they touched and licked and kissed as they continued to move against each other, relishing the contact and the friction as they moved closer and closer to completion...Harry felt his vision go white as he climaxed. Draco thought he might actually explode as he held on to Harry and shuddered through his orgasm. They collapsed into the mattress with their arms wrapped around each other and their bodies pressed close, feeling breathless and weightless and ridiculously happy...

Neither of them wanted to move. Harry wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep, but that wouldn't be a particularly smart thing to do, so he forced himself to stay awake. He reached for his wand a cast a cleaning spell on them both. Then he snuggled up to Draco and nuzzled his neck. Draco hummed appreciatively as he tightened his grip on Harry.

"I wish we didn't have to leave," Harry said. "I wish we could at least stay the night..."

"We can if you want," Draco said, as casually as he could manage.

"You know we can't," Harry said with a sigh. "There isn't one plausible excuse that we could come up with."

"Maybe we don't have to come up with an excuse," Draco said. It looked like he was trying hard not to smile. It was obvious that he had something up his sleeve.

"What are you saying?" Harry asked.

"Let me show you something," Draco said and then he picked up his wand and something flew out of his jacket. Draco caught it neatly and turned to Harry. "I think you know what this is," he said softly.

"It's a time turner!"

"Well you did say you wanted to get away from everything for a week...so I decided to make it happen."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's another short chapter, but at least I got it to you quickly and to be honest, I had to stop there...I had to let it dangle. Explanations and more Draco/ Harry love in the next. And the party too, of course. The next chapter will probably be a bit of both. And now it is time for you to tell me what you think.


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. They make me smile and they make me want to keep writing. So keep them coming please.**

...

Harry didn't say anything for a moment. He couldn't. He was too surprised; he couldn't believe that Draco had done this for him, got him a time turner just so he could have a week away from everything like he wanted...Harry was not used to having someone do anything for him, really, let alone go to such lengths just to make him happy. No one, in all his life had cared enough to want to take care of him and here Draco was, doing everything he could, to make him happy and making it seem as if there was nothing he wanted more than to be with Harry and take care of him.

It was overwhelming...There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the words. So he took Draco's hands in his and kissed them lightly.

"Thank you," he said. "Thank you so very much."

Then he pulled Draco close and wrapped his arms around him and sat for a moment with his face buried in the crook of his neck.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," Draco said as he tightened his arms about Harry.

"Draco..."

"Hmmm..."

"How did you get hold of a time-turner?"

"I have connections, " Draco said. Harry could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Who?"

"Does it matter?"

'No. But you could tell me anyway."

"Daphne," Draco replied.

"Greengrass? Henderson, I mean. She would have access of course, but she wouldn't give someone a time-turner just like that. I know she takes her job very seriously," Harry said as he drew back so he could look at Draco's face.

"Well, let's just say she owed me a favour."

"What favour?'

"Do you have to know?" Draco said trying to sound exasperated and not succeeding at all. He knew better than anyone else, what Harry's curiosity was like.

"Of course I have to know."

"I helped her out a few years ago...her son was was about seven, I think. He got sick. It was a form of Dragon pox that no one had ever seen before. And the Healers at St Mungo's had tried everything but nothing was working and Clarence was deteriorating by the day. Daphne came to see me in France and asked if I would help. It took a while but I managed to create a potion that cured him. So...she believes that she owes me. Though I've honestly never thought of it that way. It was her son. I would've done anything I could, to help. Besides, it was because of this that St Mungo's started hiring me to make potions for them. So it's not like I didn't benefit form it..."

"That's beside her point! You saved her son's life. Of course she thinks she owes you. You are amazing. I hope you know that," Harry said.

"I was just doing my job, Harry. Making potions is what I do...Anyway, I called her yesterday morning and she was curious as to why I needed a time-turner, but she didn't ask too many questions. I told her that it was personal and that I would give it back to her once I was done. So she went to her office in the Department of Mysteries and got this for me."

"So...how does this work exactly? How do we make sure that we only go back one week? Time-turners can be rather tricky."

"I got her to put a spell on it. All I have to do is tap it once with my wand and say the incantation and we'll go back exactly one week...same time last Saturday."

"And what about this room? What if it's occupied?"

"It won't be. I took a little trip back in time yesterday and booked it for us. And I made arrangments for us to portkey in and out of this room directly and gave instructions that we were not to be disturbed on any account. So nobody will know that we're here. And if we want to go out, we could just wear glamours..."

"You've thought of everything, haven't you," Harry said and he started to feel overwhelmed again when he realised how much thought Draco had put into all of this.

He reached out and caressed Draco's cheek. "Thank you. I cannot tell you how much this means to me," he said and then he pulled Draco into a kiss. Harry put all his emotion into that kiss.  _I can't find the words to tell Draco how I feel, so I'll just have to show him,_  he thought. And he did. He kissed Draco with a fierce and possessive hunger that was also somehow tender and loving...Draco could almost feel his mind turn into mush as Harry plundered his mouth. He ran his hands up and down Harry's arms, loving the feel of those strong muscles as they rippled under his fingers.

Harry slowly eased out of the kiss, with his heart thudding and his breath ragged. He felt his heart go even faster as the sight of Draco lying under him, his head thrown back, looking flushed and utterly debauched as he tried to regain his breath. "Gods! You are beautiful!" Harry said as he reached for Draco again, marvelling at himself...he felt more like a randy teenager than the steady, sensible forty year old that he was used to being. He would be embarrassed if not for the fact that Draco seemed every bit as eager as him. Harry ran his hands up and down Drco's body as he continued to kiss him and then he reached for him and stroked him, felling ridiculously pleased with himself when Draco nearly arched off the bed and moaned. It was wonderful to see him lose control like that.

Draco was lost in a haze of desire and overcome by everything Harry was doing, but he wanted to see Harry come undone as well, so he reached for Harry, his own desire intensifying when he felt the shudder that went through his love when he wrapped his hand around him...They reached for each other and they kissed again as they rode out their orgasm and collapsed against each for the second time that day. They were exhausted, wrung out and ridiculously happy as they snuggled up to each other and fell asleep. It had been a long time since either of them had been intimate with anyone and they had spent the last several days wanting each other and feeling frustrated at not being able to be together, so it was not a great wonder that they had trouble keeping their hands off each other long enough to have a decent conversation.

...

It was just past ten in the morning when Albus, James and Lily stepped out of the Floo at the Burrow with their mother. Rose, Hugo, Fred and Roxanne were already there. All of their friends (in some cases, boyfriends and girlfriends) were due to arrive at eleven. They found Ron, Charlie and George out in the garden, getting things ready for the Quiditch game. Arthur Weasley was sitting in a corner of the garden and watching his sons. He smiled when he saw Albus coming up to talk to him.

"Hi grandpa," Albus said.

"Hello Albus. you're looking well. Is your young man going to be here today?"

Albus nodded and he couldn't help but smile at the idea that Scorpius was "his young man". It sounded so quaint.

"Good. I'm looking forward to meeting him. He's very charming"

"I'm glad you think so."

"So...um, is your father here?" Arthur asked hesitantly. Molly had told him that Harry wasn't going to come, but had been hoping to see him anyway. He was very fond of his son-in-law and he had wanted a chance to reassure him that he was family and that the divorce was not going to change that situation. Besides, he was aware that when Harry had been here just two days ago on Christmas eve, he had left feeling rather upset at the family's insistent attempts to convince him to give his marriage another chance. Arthur had hoped that they could all have a day of being together and having fun, just like they used to, so Harry would see that nothing had changed and that it never would. But apparently that was not to be.

"No. Dad's not going to be here today," Albus replied gently.

Arthur sighed. "I know he was rather upset the other day, but I had hoped that he would make it today. I don't want him to feel uncomfortable about being here..."

"I don't think he's uncomfortable being here. He just wants a little time away from everything. The last few days have been rather hard on him. It's been difficult for mum too, but she seems to deal with it a lot better."

Arthur nodded. "That's true," he said. "Are you okay, Albus?" he asked after a minute.

"I'm fine. It was a shock at first and it still seems a bit surreal, you know. I wonder sometimes, if I just dreamed it all up, but other than that, I'm okay. I understand why mum and dad want to seperate. If it makes them happy...then it's fine."

"I worry about Harry being alone, though. Once you go back to school, it'll just be him rattling around in that house..."

"Oh! Didn't he tell you? I guess it slipped his mind, what with everything else."

"Tell me what?"

"Dad's coming to Hogwarts. He's going to be teaching for the next two terms at least. I'm hoping he'll stay on, though."

"Harry's going to be teaching at Hogwarts?!" said a surprised voice behind them. It was Ron.

"Yes. Professor Roberts was called away on Auror duty apparently and Professor McGonagall asked dad if he would take his place and he agreed."

"But...what about his job?" Ron said.

Albus wasn't sure what he was allowed to tell Ron, so he told him as little as possible. "He's going to take six months off work," he said.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Ron said, as look of hurt flitted across his face.

Ablus goaned silently, wondering why he hadn't just kept his mouth shut. "I'm sure he didn't intend to hide it from you, Uncle Ron, he's just been distracted with the divorce and everything," he said and he quickly excused himself before Ron could ask any more uncomfortable questions.

He started walking down to the pitch that Charlie, Bill and George were setting up, when he ran into Louis, who had just apparated into into the garden. Albus and Louis hadn't had a chance to talk since Albus' birthday, so they settled down to catch up. There was still a while before their boyfriends would get there. Louis was quite concerned about Harry and Ginny's divorce and he wanted to know if Albus was alright. Albus reassured him as best he could. He was starting to understand why his parents and particularly his father found all this concern so stifling. So he changed the subject as quickly as he could. Besides, he really did want to know how Louis and Stanley were doing.

Louis, of course, was more than happy to talk about his boyfriend. He told Albus all about their date a few days ago. "I really didn't think he would take me back so quickly," he said.

"He's either very forgiving or he's in the love with you," Albus replied.

"I think he might be in love with me, but I'm not sure. It feels like that when we're together. It all there in the way he looks at me and in the way he kisses, but he hasn't said the words yet. It's almost as if he's holding them back."

"Maybe he is. If I was in his position, I would think it was too much too soon. He wants to make you work for it. I can understand that. Have you told your parents yet?"

"Yeah. I told them almost a week ago."

"I'm guessing they took it well."

"On the whole, yeah. They were a bit shocked at first, Dad in particular. He didn't seem to know how to react. Mum just hugged me and told me she was glad I'd found someone. Domi and Vicki were weird though. They were thrilled. Domi wanted to know if he was hot. Vicky wanted me to invite him home so she could meet him and neither of them would leave me alone until I told them how we got together. 'Give us all the details', they kept saying."

Albus chuckled. "So it is not just Lily, then. What did you tell them?" he said. He knew how badly the truth would've gone down.

"I made up something and they let it be, but I could see that they didn't believe me. I don't know how they did it, but they seem to have sensed that I hurt Stanley once."

"Oh! What did they say?"

"They didn't say anything when I told them, but they insisted on meeting him and when they did, they threated to hex me if I ever hurt him again..."

"I'm sure Stanley appreciated that."

"Yeah..." Louis sighed.

"What?" Albus said.

"It's just...Stan and I are together now and everything is okay and all that, but I still feel like such a cad for what I did to him. Sometimes I feel so guilty and upset, I just don't know what to do. And Stan tries to hide it, but I know that he's still very insecure..."

"Well you did hurt him and he's been very forgiving. But it is going to take some time for him to get over it...just go slow, alright. And for the record, you're not a cad," Albus said as he patted Louis on his arm.

"Thanks."

Albus glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly eleven. Their friends would be here soon. He turned around and he saw Lily and Rose walking up to them. James, Fred and Roxanne were over on the other side of the garden with Bill and Charlie.

"Hey Lou," Lily said. "Where's Vicky?"

"She's at home. She hasn't been feeling very well. Says she's too pregnant to be able to stand another Weasley family gathering."

"So I guess Teddy's not going to be here either," Rose said.

"Not if mum has anything to say about it. She was getting to ready to kick him out before I left. Says she wants some mother and daughter bonding time," Louis said.

"Speak of the devil," Albus said as Teddy apparated into the garden a few feet away.

"Hi guys!" he said as he walked over to them.

"So your mother-in-law kicked you out huh?" Rose said.

"Yeah. Fleur thinks I worry too much and that I need a break from taking care of my wife. But I can't help it you know. It's the first time and we've been waiting five years and now Vicky's not well and..." His worry was obvious.

"She's going to be fine," Rose said firmly. "Aunt Fleur is right. You need to stop worrying."

"And go find Jamie," Albus said. "I think he could use a bit of cheering up."

"He's a bit glum is he?" Teddy said.

"Yeah. It's going to be a little difficult for him today." Albus said.

Teddy understood, of course. Jenny had broken up with James just before the holidays because she wanted a commitment that James wasn't ready to give. So today he would be one of the very few Weasley grandchildren without a significant other...it was something that had not happenned since the day James turned fourteen so Teddy understood why it would be hard for him to handle. He went looking for James just as Scorpius apparated to a point a few feet outside the main gate of the Burrow and Albus went out to meet him.

...

**A/N: I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer, but that would've meant more waiting and it is already too long since I updated. I continue to be busy with a bunch of other stories, but I promise I'll have the next chapter for you in less than three days so we can catch up with Albus and Scorpius and the rest of the couples. As always, thank you for reading and please leave me a review.**


	55. Chapter 55

Scorpius was still trying to get his bearings when he saw Albus walking up to him. He smiled and he reached for his boyfriend, laughing when Albus grabbed him and hugged him tight. After all that time, hiding their relationship at school, Albus had now become quite unabashed about showing his affection. Scorpius still tended to get a bit embarrassed, but he went along with it anyway.

Rose and Lily cornered Scorpius the moment he walked through the gate. They apparently, had a lot to talk to him about, much to Albus' irritation. He bore it patiently for about ten minutes and then he started to get a bit antsy. Luckily for him, Frank turned up just then. Albus saw his chance and he dragged Scorpius off to meet his grandparents. He was hoping to get his boyfriend away for a little bit of alone time after that and then there was the small matter of the Christmas gift that he was waiting to give him.

Lily decided that it was time she went back onto the house. Jeremy would be arriving any minute. He was going to come through the Floo because he wasn't old enough to apparate. She was going to see Jeremy after a gap of a week and she was nervous. Lily had been very hesitant about inviting him to the Boxing day party, not sure how he would react to the invitation. It was only when Albus had threatened to write the letter himself that she had got her courage together long enough to invite him.

He was the only friend that she had chosen to invite this year. She knew that Amy and Myra would be a little put out by that, but she would make it up to the somehow. There was no way she was going to let anyone else worm in on her time with Jeremy if she could help it. She had been half afraid that he would make up an excuse and refuse the invitation, but he didn't. He wrote back to her immediately saying that he would be delighted to be her date.

Lily had read that letter over and over, sure that she was seeing things. Had Jeremy really said that he would be her date? She was still asking herself that when the Floo flared and Jeremy stepped out. Lily found it hard not to gawk at him... _How is it that I've never seen him in jeans before?_  she wondered as she took in the snug blue denims paired with a classic white shirt and a dark blue jacket. Jeremy looked...very good and then he smiled and her heart did a little swoop inside her chest.

She smiled back and said hello and then she blushed when she saw the way he was loking at her. There was no way that gaze could be deemed anything other than appreciative.

"You look...lovely," he said and Lily was taken aback. Jeremy had never ever said anything even remotely complementary about about her looks.

"Thanks," she said. And then there was a slightly awkward silence. Lily felt a bit stupid, standing there, not saying anything, but there was something very different about Jeremy today and she was feeling a bit wrong-footed. She was still wracking her brain, trying to think of something to say when Ginny walked in on them.

"So this is your boyfriend!" she said, when Lily introduced them. "I'm so glad to finally meet you. I've never seen Lily this taken by someone," Ginny said as she extended her hand.

Lily cringed. Her mother was just being friendly and she couldn't blame her for coming to the wrong conclusion, but, really did she have to say all that? It was mortifying. What would Jeremy think? She had to correct her mother's assumption.

"No mum, that..." she said when Jeremy grabbed her hand and squeezed, clearly intending to stop her from saying anything further. She was so shocked by the touch that wouldn't have been able to say anything anyway.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Mrs Potter," he said. "You were one of my heroes back when you were playing. Lily tells me we're going to have a game today. I hope you'll join us."

"Of course I will. You play chaser too don't you? I saw you in that game against Gryffindor. We should have an interesting game today, considering that your captain is going to be here as well," Ginny said. Then she heard Molly calling her and decided to make a hasty exit. She had no desire to be coerced into helping her mother cook. Molly didn't need the help. She just wanted her daughter in a place where she wouldn't be able to get away. Despite everything, she still held out hope for Ginny's marriage, "if only she could get her daughter to understand," as she kept telling herself.

Jeremy was very surprised by the news that Stanley was going to be joining them. "How come Stanley's going to be here?" he said. "I didn't think he even knew any of you guys," Jeremy said to Lily.

"He's Louis' boyfriend. Didn't you know?" Lily said.

"I had no idea," he said.

Lily realised then that he was still holding her hand. It felt nice and warm, but she couldn't help but question it. First that whole thing about being her date, then the fact that he hadn't let her tell Ginny that he wasn't actually her boyfriend and now this...it was like he was trying to tell her something. She had a pretty good idea what it was, but she couldn't help wishing that he would just say the words...

Jeremy could see Lily's confusion in her face and he knew that he should tell her that he didn't want to be just friends with her anymore. He knew that he should just ask her out and he wanted to. But he was a little too inexperienced at this sort of thing and Lily was so beautiful and they were at her grandparents' house with her whole family and while he'd been brave enough to take her hand, he didn't really know how to proceed.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Lily asked finally. She was the Gryffindor after all.

"Yeah. I just..." Jeremy began when Ron stormed in.

"Where's Ginny?" he said.

"She's upstairs. In her old room. Why? Is something wrong?"

"I need to talk to her," he said and then he ran up the stairs.

Lily frowned, but nothing that her Uncle Ron said or did could interest her for very long, and certainly not now. So she turned back to Jeremy with the question on her face.

"I said I wanted to be your date, I meant it," he said finally.

"Are you asking me out?" Lily said tentatively.

"Yes. I'm also asking you to be my girlfriend...I want more than just a few dates," Jeremy said...and Lily nodded and blushed and looked away, wrecking havoc with his heart in the process. He let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug.

...

Ginny was surprised to see her brother storm in to her old room.

"What's this about Harry going to work at Hogwarts?" Ron said without any preamble.

Ginny sighed. Right. Of course. Harry had been too preoccupied to tell Ron and Hermione about that and Ron was, very predictably, angry.

"Things have been crazy Ron. He didn't have the time to tell you, that's all."

"I figured that. What I don't get is why he would want to take time off his job to go teach. I don't see how Kingsley gave him the permission to do that. He's Head Auror for crying out loud! He can't just go traipsing off every time he feels like it."

Ginny hadn't been particularly supportive of Harry's decision to go to Hogwarts, but she found herself bristling at Ron's words.

"That is so unfair!" she said. "Harry has never gone traipsing off for anything. He's been very dedicated to his job. And now he's tired of it and he wants a change. I don't understand why he would pick teaching of all things, but that's his choice isn't it? I can't believe that he actually gave up a chance to be the Minister, but again it's his choice."

"But what about the department? I can't believe Kingsley let him do this."

"Actually he didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"He refused to give Harry the time off. So Harry resigned."

"What?! Why would he do that?"

"Because he does not want to be an Auror anymore."

"But the teaching gig is only for six months...at least that's what Jamie told me."

"He says he'll find something else if he has to, but he won't go back to the Ministry. Look, I don't understand it any more than you do, but it's his choice."

"It's the wrong choice!" Ron yelled. "Do you know how many of us in that department wanted to be Head Auror? Do you know how hard we worked and how much we strove for recognition? But when the time came, it was Harry. It's always Harry. Sometimes I think he doesn't value these things because they come to him too easily. I can't believe he's ready to throw it all away. He's going to regret it. Kingsley won't stand for it, you'll see."

Ginny sighed. She began to understand a little of Harry's frustration with the way people expected things of him all the time, not letting him be, always assuming that they knew what was good for him, better than he did. She had been guilty of that too, on plenty of occasions. Now that she was seeing it from the outside, she understood how frustrating it must have been for him.

"Kingsley didn't accept his resignation, if you must know," Ginny said. "But Harry stuck to his guns. Said he's not going to go back to the Ministry no matter what. Kingsley argued with him for hours, but Harry didn't budge. He told him to go look for a new Head Auror. He suggested you, in fact."

Ron couldn't help but be a little flattered by that. But that still didn't mean that he agreed with Harry's decision. Mostly he was angry that Harry had made such a big decision without speaking to him or Hermione...just like he had with the divorce. Harry never used to do that before. And just like that he understood what it was that was bothering him the most. He was feeling left out of Harry's life. They'd always been a team, Harry, Ron and Hermione...sure they'd grown a bit distant over the years, but Harry had never made any big decisions without consulting him and Hermione...and now suddenly he was doing all these unexpected things that he didn't even bother to tell them about. Harry was pulling away from them and Ron simply couldn't bear the idea.

...

Louis was the only one left waiting by the garden gate. Stanley was yet to arrive. He turned around and saw Lily and Jeremy walk out of the house, holding hands and looking totally absorbed in each other.  _Finally!_ he thought as he continued to look at them. They made a very good looking couple. Lily was radiant and Jeremy looked a bit bemused, but he couldn't keep from smiling...they were the very picture of a happy couple. _Lily won't_   _be able to concentrate on Quidditch today_ , he thought with a chuckle when he heard the distinct crack of apparition. It was Stanley.

He stood just outside the gate with his hands stuck in his pockets, with a bit of a shy smile on his face. It was a sight that made Louis want to do cart wheels.

"Hello, love," he said as he walked up to Stanley and kissed him softly.

"Hey," Stanley said as he ran his fingers through Louis' hair. "How is it that you get more beautiful every time I see you?

...

**A/N: I kept my promise. Time for you to do your bit. I love reviews. They make me smile and they make me want to write. So go on...**


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N: First of all, apologies for taking so long to update. But the good news is that I am almost done with all of my other writing commitments, so I can get back to updating once a week. Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. I appreciate every single one of them.**

...

"Hey," Stanley said as he ran his fingers through Louis' hair. "How is it that you get more beautiful every time I see you?"

Louis chuckled. He was so happy. _I can't believe that I almost threw this away,_  he thought as he drew Stanley into a hug and held him tight.

"Stan..."

"Yes, love," Stanley said softly, making Louis' heart flip in his chest.

"Why did you give me another chance? You know I didn't deserve it."

Stanley sighed. "You're right, you didn't deserve it, but though I was hurt and angry, I couldn't bear the thought of letting you go again. It might have satisfied my pride, but it would've killed me to push you away."

Those words made Louis hold on tighter.

"I love you," he said. He'd been saying those words again and again, ever since that day, back at Hogwarts when he'd written that letter to Stanley to apologise and ask for another chance.

So far, Stanley had never said the words back to him. He'd wanted to, many times, but he'd held himself back. After all that had happened, he'd wanted to make Louis work for it. And Louis had worked for it...he'd introduced Stanley to his family, he'd skipped Christmas eve lunch at the Burrow to go visit Stanley's parents, he'd asked Stanley out on a date every single day. He'd even made the time to go meet him on Christmas. Louis was trying every way he could. Stanley decided that it was time.

"I love you too," he said and Louis wanted to do cartwheels around the garden...he wanted to whoop and shout and jump and generally make a fool of himself. He was so damn happy. They stood there, out in the garden, kissing softly and looking so in love that no one who saw them could keep from smiling.

...

James sighed as he idly played with the snitch.

"Feeling a bit left out?" Teddy said.

"I know that's a bit selfish of me, but yeah," James replied.

"Have you talked to Jenny at all?"

"No. I've done some thinking though, and I've realised that she was right. I like her a lot, but I don't love her and I don't think I ever will. I just...I've never thought about these things seriously before. If I liked a girl, I would ask her out and we would date and she would be my girlfriend and eventually, it would be over and I would move on. I've had a few relationships, I've had fun, but I've never actually been in love...I've never even thought about it, but when I look at these guys," he gestured vaguely at Louis and Stanley, as he trailed off.

"You want that too," Teddy said.

"Yeah..."

"Then you'll find it. Just give it a bit of time and don't settle for the first pretty face that you see."

James smiled ruefully. "That's what I've been doing, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"How do you think Jenny will take it?" James asked after a bit.

"She saw the problem before you did. She was the one who broke up with you, just so you would both have the time and space to think. Maybe she's realised that she doesn't love you either."

"Maybe," James said. He hoped that was true. He didn't want to hurt Jenny anymore than he already had.

"Where's Vicky?" he asked after a while.

"At home with her mum. She's not been well at all, lately."

The worry was obvious in his voice. "Don't worry, Teddy, she's a Weasley woman and Weasley women are tough. Just look at Grandma Molly. You can't go wrong with genes like that."

Teddy smiled at this obvious attempt to cheer him up. "But what if Lupin babies are delicate?" he said.

"If you are anything to go by, I would say that's not possible. You should hear the stories Dad tells about you."

Teddy chuckled. "How is Uncle Harry?" he asked, after a while.

"He's a bit stressed out about everything, but he's okay."

"He's not here today, is he?"

"No. He decided that he needed some time on his own."

"Maybe that's best," Teddy said, when he remembered the way Uncle Ron and Grandma Molly had badgered him the last time that they had all been together.

...

"Finally!" Albus said as he drew Scorpius into the room and shut and locked the door. They were in Ron's old room at the top of the house. It was over an hour since Scorpius had arrived and Albus had been trying all this time to get him alone, but the Weasleys were not a bunch of people who are easy to dodge. Albus had only wanted Scorpius to meet his grandparents, but his uncles, aunts and cousins, particularly his female cousins had wanted to meet Scorpius and talk to him,  _even flirt with him, damn Roxanne!_ Albus thought as he drew his wand and put up a silencing spell.

They hugged and Albus sighed contentedly as Scorpius nuzzled against his neck. It was only three days since they had last met, but it felt like it a lot longer. Over the last few months, they had got used to being together almost all the time.

"I missed you," Scorpius said.

"I missed you too."

Albus lifted Scorpius' chin and looked right into his eyes. "I cannot tell you how much I am aching for you," he said softly. It was nearly ten days since they had made love...their last time together had been on the night before Albus' birthday.

"Me too," Scorpius said, as he reached up and kissed his boyfriend softly.

They tried to restrain themselves, they really did, but they quickly lost control as one kiss turned onto another and then one more and soon they could not stop themselves anymore. Albus unbuckled Scorpius' belt and reached for him. Scorpius moaned as he felt that warm hand wrap around him. He bucked his hips and he felt his knees go weak as Albus began to stoke him. Albus pushed him back gently until he was standing against the wall and then he began to stroke in earnest. He revelled in the feel of Scorpius in his arms as Scorpius threw his head back and gasped. There was nothing Albus loved more than to see Scorpius lose control like this...

Scorpius had his arms on Albus' shoulders and he held on as Albus brought him closer and closer to the brink. Then he squeezed and dropped his head on Albus' shoulder as he shuddered through his climax.

"That was...that was..." he gasped, unable to finish his sentence.

"Amazing, I know," Albus said. He was having trouble breathing too. He was almost painfully hard and aching for release.

Scorpius took a minute to collect himself and then he dropped to his knees. The sight of that almost made Albus come on the spot. He gasped and groaned as Scorpius undid his belt and pulled down his jeans and his pants and released him. And then he moaned as Scorpius took him in his mouth...Scorpius loved the sounds Albus made as he pleasured him. It was enough to make him hard again, so he began to stroke himself as well as he continued to pleasure Albus and soon they were both shuddering and crying out as Albus slid to the floor and they collapsed against each other.

"I love you," they whispered as they held each other close and tried to catch their breaths.

"I can't believe we just did that...in your Grandparents' house," Scorpius said. He was embarrassed, now that his brain was no longer addled by desire.

"If it makes you feel any better, you should know every one of the Weasley children has done it in this house one at one time or the other."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Teddy and Vicky used to sneak around all the time and the last couple of years I've seen Jamie sneaking off with his girlfriend. Roxanne has been up here with every single one of her boyfriends and so have Domi and Molly for that matter...And that's just my cousins. My uncles used to do it all the time too, apparently."

"The house has a rich history then," Scorpius said with a wry smile.

Albus chuckled as he reached for his wand and cleaned them up.

"I hope no one's been looking for us," Scorpius said.

Albus glanced at his watch. It was nearly 12:20. "They will be, soon," he said. "The Quidditch match is supposed to start in ten minutes."

"Let's go then."

Albus unlocked the door and stuck his head out, hoping that there was no one around. He knew how much teasing he would have to endure if any of his cousins saw them now. There didn't seem to be anyone around so they quickly made their way down the stairs. they ran into Rose and Frank a couple of floors down, both looking a bit flushed and slightly embarrassed, as they emerged from one of the unused rooms on the second floor. They were startled when they saw Albus and Scorpius hurrying down the stairs holding hands. The four of them just stared for a moment and then they burst out laughing.

They made it down to the garden to find that Grandma Molly had brought out the pre match snacks. They ignored all the knowing looks that they got from their cousins and went to grab a bite.

...

And then it was time to pick the teams. Bill had decided that he didn't want to play this year, so he appointed himself the referee. "So which of you wants to lead the teams?" he asked as they all gathered around him.

"Care for a rematch, Potter?" Stanley said to Lily.

"You bet," she returned.

"Now that should be interesting," Bill said and everyone seemed to agree. So he carried on. "Time to pick the teams then," he said.

"You go first," Stanley said.

"You're quite the gentleman, aren't you?" Lily said with a smirk.

"Huh! I know who your first pick is going to be, Potter, and I don't mind losing him," Stanley returned with a smirk of his own.

Lily coloured a little, but she held her head up defiantly as she said, "My first pick is Jeremy."

Jeremy blushed a bit as he went to stand behind Lily, looking a bit awkward and embarrassed as her cousins oohed and awwed around them.

"My first pick is Lou," Stanley said, keeping his face carefully blank.

"Bloody typical. Picking your boyfriends first," James said as the rest of his cousins snickered. The adults smiled indulgently. Bill in particular smiled rather fondly at his son and his boyfriend. It had been a bit of a shock to hear that his son was in a relationship with another boy, but now that he'd got used to the idea, he was quite happy about it. He'd met Stanley twice already and he was very impressed with the young man. Louis could not have chosen better, in his opinion.

"Right. Next pick," Bill said.

"Mum, get over here," Lily said and Ginny went to join her daughter.

"My next pick is James," Stanley said.

"So we continue to be a team, then," James said as he walked over to stand next to Louis.

"I pick Frank," Lily said.

Stanley had been hoping to pick Longbottom for his keeper, so he was a bit disappointed. And then his eye fell on Ron. "Would you care to play with us, Mr Wesley?" he asked.

Ron agreed of course. Albus was Lily's next pick and Angelina was Stanley's. With that the two teams had three chasers, one seeker and one keeper each. Then it was time to pick the beaters. Fred and Roxanne joined Lily's team, while George and Teddy joined Stanley. And they were all set.

They lined up on either side of the pitch, Bill blew the whistle and they all took off. It was a hard fought game. Stanley and Lily were too competitive not to take the game every bit as seriously as they treated their house games. They were both determined to win and they played their hearts out. Lily formed a deadly combination with Jeremy and Ginny. The three of them scored goal after goal for the first twenty minutes, taking full advantage of the fact that Ron was a bit rusty and they quickly took their score up to 80. James, Louis and Angelina, on the other hand, had a bit of trouble settling down and Frank was really hard to beat. So after the first half hour they only had 30 points to their name to the other team's 90.

And then Ron found his stride, James, Louis and Angelina started clicking and they began to narrow the gap. Lily began to find it harder and harder to beat her uncle and George it seemed, had no qualms whatever about aiming bludgers at his niece and his sister. He was the best beater of the lot and he and Teddy pounded them until Lily, Ginny and Jeremy were so breathless dodging bludgers that they had no time to score. One hour down and the scores were almost even at 100-90 with Lily's team still in the lead.

Lily was furious. She went up to Fred and Roxanne and gave them what was probably the longest pep talk they'd ever had. "She reminds of so much of Oliver," George said to Ron as he flew past. Ron had never played under Oliver Wood, but he had heard plenty, both from Harry and his brothers about how obsessive he used to be. He smiled, but the thought of Harry gave him a pang...he wished that Harry was here with them. He wished that his friend had come to him and Hermione to seek comfort the way he used to, instead of going off somewhere on his own.

But then he realised that if Harry had chosen not to come to him, it was his own fault. When Harry had told them of his decision to get a divorce, Ron hadn't supported him or made an effort to understand, even. He'd questioned him and he'd argued endlessly about it. He'd made his friend feel bad. Was it any wonder that Harry had chosen to stay away? All these thoughts distracted him and Ron became a bit sloppy and let in a few goals that should never have gone through, letting Lily's team pull ahead again. The score was 150-100 and then the snitch showed for the first time in the match and this time, Stanley saw it first. He raced off after it.

Albus saw him and he followed. It took him a few seconds to catch up and by then it was all over. Stanley had nearly flown out of his skin in his effort to get to the snitch. No one present, could quite believe the burst of speed that he had put on or the impossible angle in which he'd held his broom as he had leaned forward and grabbed the snitch just a moment before it could take off again. It was a fantastic effort which even Lily found herself applauding.

Stanley's team won 250-150. His team mates came over to congratulate him. George thumped him on the back. Louis hugged Stanley tight, only letting go when Lily came over to shake his hand. All of them stood around talking while Bill and Charlie collected the balls and the bats and started putting them away. Molly came out of the house to announce that lunch was ready and then they all trooped off into the house.

Ron went up to his wife. "I miss Harry," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"I miss him too," Hermione said.

...

**A/N: Tell me what you think...**


	57. Chapter 57

Lunch was delicious, noisy, chaotic and lots of fun. Scorpius had never in his life, laughed as much as did over that meal. Everyone had a funny story to tell and an anecdote to share...It was the kind of happy, family time that he had never really known. Teddy saw him looking wistfully around the table.

"They're really something, aren't they?" he said softly.

"Yeah...I can't tell you how much I envy you guys," Scorpius replied.

"You don't have to. From the look of it, they've adopted you too," Teddy said as Molly made her way over to their side of the table and started fussing over Scorpius.

Albus was glad that his family had accepted his boyfriend. He had known that they would be polite, but he hadn't expected them to be quite so friendly. His mother and his Uncle Ron continued to be aloof, but everyone else had made an effort to make Scorpius feel welcome. He turned to look at his boyfriend as he sat next to him, talking to Teddy and James and laughing at something that James had said...he looked perfectly at home. It was a sight that made him very happy indeed.

He reached for Scorpius' hand under the table and squeezed. It was a silent 'thank-you' for being so accepting of his family and making a real effort with them, despite the fact that they had snubbed him and ignored his existence for so many years. Scorpius turned to him and smiled a quick, happy smile before going back to his conversation with James. Albus looked up to see Rose smiling at him from the other side of the table. "It makes me so happy to see him here like this," she said glancing at Scorpius.

Albus returned her smile and turned to talk to Jeremy who was sitting on the other side of him. He had deliberately chosen to sit with the young Slytherin. He'd noticed that Jeremy was a bit overwhelmed and he hoped that he would be able to make him feel a bit more comfortable. Besides, he didn't know Jeremy at all and this was as good a chance as any to try and figure out just what it was about him that had caught Lily's all too fickle heart and held it.

Jeremy found, much to his surprise, that Albus was very easy to talk to. He'd been a bit intimidated at first. It wasn't easy for him to forget that Albus was Lily's older brother and that he might want to do him bodily harm for so much as looking at his sister, as a lot of brothers are wont to do. But he soon realised that Albus had no such hang ups, so he relaxed. He had a good deal of trouble keeping his eyes off Lily, though...a fact that amused her cousins a great deal. But thanks to some strategic glaring from Albus and Lily, they kept their amusement to themselves.

...

Harry was having the best few days of his life. Draco had used the time turner and they had gone back a week in time. They had already lived through four of those days. They'd talked for hours and they'd shagged like teenagers, though they hadn't gone all the way yet. They'd gone for long walks in the valley, wearing glamours, so they wouldn't be recognised. They'd even gone skiing a few times. It was the kind of freedom and total lack of responsibility that neither of them had experienced for years...

"Four days gone already," Harry said, as he snuggled up to Draco that night. Draco was lying flat on his back, while Harry lay on his side with his head resting on Draco's shoulder.

"I know. It's been good, though," Draco said as he ran his hand up and down Harry's arm.

"Oh! It's been wonderful," Harry said with a smile. "I hate the thought of going back...I don't know how I'm going to pretend that you are no more than a friend."

Draco sighed. "I'm going to hate that too," he said.

"And to think that we have to wait for another two months..." Harry said morosely.

"At least you'll be at Hogwarts with me. We can live together, even of we can't tell anyone about it."

"I was thinking about that...Do you think we should tell McGonagall?"

"I think she already knows."

"What? You think Dumbledore told her?"

"I'm sure he did. He's too much of a gossip to keep something like that to himself."

"Don't tell me he's going to tell the rest of the teachers as well!"

"He won't. It's just Minerva and Severus that he can't keep things from."

"So you think McGonagall is okay with this?"

"Of course. It's none of her business and so long as we are discreet about it, it couldn't possibly make a difference to her. Except that she is rather fond of the two of us, so she'll be happy about it."

"Hmmm...If it wasn't for the kids, I wouldn't care, you know. I wouldn't care who found out. I can't think of one person in my life who will be supportive, but I can deal with that. I just don't want my kids to resent me or to blame you for the divorce..."

Draco sighed. He tightened his hold on Harry and kissed him on his forehead. "I have no idea how Lily and James will react, but I am sure Albus will understand," he said.

"And Scorpius?"

"He'll understand too. The two of them could turn out to be out biggest support."

"Should we just tell them, then?"

"Yeah. I think we should. Maybe not just yet, but as soon as we get back to Hogwarts."

"You know, about that, I think I want to go back a few days early."

"Yeah?"

"Mm...hmmm. I want to get there a few days before term starts, just to get used to the place and settle down. And I'll need the time to prepare for the coming term. I haven't even looked at the books yet."

"What about your kids, then?"

"They could stay with Ginny, if she's going to be around or they could spend a few days with their grandparents."

"Or they could go back to Hogwarts with you."

"I don't think any of them would want that," Harry said.

"Albus would jump at the chance if Scorpius would join him."

"That's true," Harry said with a smile. "And I know that you wouldn't send Scorpius to Hogwarts by himself, so I'm assuming that you're offering to go back early with me."

"Of course I am. You don't think I would actually stay away, do you? Besides, I could help you plan your lessons."

"That would be great, though I doubt that we'd get a lot of work done," Harry said with a suggestive smirk.

"Are you suggesting that I would distract you?" Draco said with a smirk of his own.

"You're distracting me now," Harry said as he ran his hand up and down Draco's bare torso, feeling gratified at the soft moan that escaped the blond.

"Well, you're distracting me too," Draco said as he moved hand from Harry's arm and ran it down his back and slipped it into Harry's pyjama bottoms to caress the delectably soft flesh, making Harry moan appreciatively as he arched his back and encouraged Draco to go on, as he leaned up to kiss him. Harry had one arm around Draco's neck and the other on his chest. He continued to run his hand up and down Draco's chest, stopping to caress his nipples every now and then, as he kissed him passionately.

He was already hopelessly aroused and he couldn't quite believe just how much he wanted Draco at that moment. Draco loved the way Harry was touching him. He couldn't believe how turned on he was, as Harry pulled away and started kissing and licking his way down Draco's neck and his chest. Draco's heart was pounding as he ran his hands up Harry's back, as Harry began to kiss his way down Draco's stomach stopping only to take off the black silk pyjamas that made the blond look so utterly seductive...

Harry gazed at Draco as he lay before him, at the pale skin, now flushed a delectable pink, at the beautiful contours of his body and he found himself wondering how he had ever settled for anything less. He looked at Draco's face and he found his love staring at him with a look of undisguised desire on his face. Draco reached up and caressed Harry's cheek. "So beautiful," he whispered. He ran his hands down Harry's neck and his chest and his stomach..."Take these off," he whispered, tugging at Harry's pyjamas.

Harry nodded and he slid off the bed and out of his clothes as quickly as he could. He got back into bed, only to have Draco flip them over and begin to pepper him with kisses, all over his face and his neck, and his chest and his stomach before taking him in his mouth...Harry moaned and nearly arched off the bed at the sudden warmth and before long he was screaming Draco's name. Draco loved how vocal Harry was...he gave himself up entirely to the sensations, to the passion and intensity of the moment. It was a sight that could turn Draco until he was quite literally about to burst.

That was the way he felt now as he held Harry and watched his face as he came down from his orgasm...he was so open and so impossibly beautiful. Everything that Draco had imagined he would be. Harry gave himself a couple of minutes to recover and then he got up and pushed Draco to lie on his back. He straddled him and then he leaned forward and proceeded to kiss him senseless. Draco lay back as Harry explored his mouth with a passion and thoroughness that made him feel as if he was melting into the mattress. Then Harry reached for him and began to stroke and soon Draco was screaming too.

Harry slid off Draco's body and cast a wandless spell to clean them up. Then he snuggled up to Draco until his head was tucked under the other man's chin and he slipped into a very contented sleep as Draco wrapped his arms around him.

...

Harry and Draco spent the next couple of days in a pleasant haze of conversation, cuddling and love making. The closer they got to the end of their little vacation, the less inclined they were to leave their room. And finally they were back to December 26th, the day their little vacation had started. It was late afternoon, just a couple of hours before they had to leave. They were lying in bed and talking quietly. Harry turned his head and looked at Draco...Draco looked back at him smiling softly. He looks so content, Harry thought as he reached out and pushed a stray lock of hair off his partner's face.

The word startled him, more because he had never used it before, than anything else.  _But_   _that's what he is isn't it?_  he thought.  _My partner. The man I want to share my life with,_  he thought as he leaned forward and kissed Draco softly.

"You look happy," Draco said.

"I am happy, all thanks to you," Harry said and then he kissed him again.

"You give me too much credit, love."

"That's not true and you know it. This entire week has been amazing and it was all your doing."

"My motives were entirely selfish, I assure you," Draco drawled as he snuggled up to Harry and started tracing patterns on his stomach.

Harry chuckled. "I like your brand of selfishness," he said as ran his fingers through Draco's hair.

"I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed these last few days," Draco said softly.

"Same here. I don't know how I'm going to survive a week of not being with you like this," Harry said and then he drew Draco into a lingering kiss.

...

And then it was time to leave. They packed up their things, kissed one last time, said their goodbyes and apparated out. Draco went to the Manor and Harry to his home in Godric's hollow.

It was around five-thirty in the evening. Harry was relieved to see that Ginny and the kids hadn't got back yet. He walked into the house and he immediately felt bereft, like he had left a part of himself behind. He sighed. He'd let go of Draco just five minutes ago... _and_ _I miss him already,_ he thought, as he walked into his kitchen and stood at the window, looking out into the garden. He stood there for the longest time, thinking about everything that Draco had said and done over the last few days and he found himself, smiling and even blushing a little bit as he wandered around his memories.

...

Draco walked about the Manor, feeling acutely lonely. He had already been in love with Harry, but the past week had been the first time that they had spent so much time together without any pressures or distractions. It had given them a chance to get to know each other in a way that they hadn't been able to before. _And the more I get to know him, the more I love him,_  Draco thought with a sigh as he walked up the stairs to his room. It was clear now that Harry was the only one for him.  _I'd marry him this instant, if I could,_  he thought.

...

**A/N: Tell me what you think...**


	58. Chapter 58

Scorpius apparated into the Manor gardens and walked over to the house, smiling as he thought about his day. It had been quite wonderful. Lily and Jeremy were finally together. He was rather fond of them both and it had been very nice to see Lily so happy  _and to see Jeremy so besotted,_ he thought with a chuckle as he walked into the house. His mind turned to Albus, the way it did, pretty much all the time these days. He closed his eyes for a second as he tried to recall exactly how Albus had looked at that moment when he had stumbled to the floor and into his arms as he tried to catch his breath...he'd sat on the floor in between Scorpius' legs, head resting on his shoulder, a happy smile on his face, looking up at Scorpius like he was the most amazing thing in the world...

_I'm never going to get tired of that look_ , he thought as he walked in through the front door.

It was now more two months since that fateful day in October when they had got together. Scorpius had already been in love with Albus then, but somehow, he seemed to love him more every day. It scared him sometimes, when he realised just how intense his feelings for Albus were. He needed Albus like he had never needed anything or anyone before. He had always been pretty content, but now he was so intensely happy all the time.  _Will it always feel like this?_  he wondered.  _Or will we grow used to each other and start taking each other for granted?_ He couldn't imagine ever taking Albus for granted or not wanting and needing to be with him as much as he did now...

He was still following this train of thought when he walked into the living room and found his father standing by the window. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. And then he smiled, as if at a memory. Scorpius was stunned. He had never, ever seen his father smile like that. It was such an intensely happy smile...it was there only for a couple of seconds and then it was gone, replaced by a look of such intense longing that it almost made Scorpius hurt. He didn't have to wonder what was going on...he'd seen that smile and that look of longing on his own face often enough. His father was in love.

...

It was the morning of the next day and Harry was in the kitchen having a late breakfast with Albus, who was watching his father closely.  _There's something different about him,_ Albus thought. Harry looked lighter and happier, somehow. But he also seemed distracted and he didn't seem inclined to talk at all. He had, in fact, been like that since the previous evening, smiling at odd moments, frequently lost in his thought, often unaware of what was happening around him. It was strange and very unlike him.

Albus got up to pour himself a cup of coffee when he heard the tapping on the window. It was a ministry owl. He opened the window, took the letter and handed it to his father who took it absently, his mind, clearly somewhere else. Albus poured out the coffee and came back to the table. Harry had to read the letter twice before he absorbed anything. Kingsley had written to him again, urging him to rethink his resignation.

"There's nothing to rethink," Harry said.

"The Minister again?" Albus asked.

"Yeah," Harry said as he handed him the letter.

"He's very persistent," Albus said.

Harry snorted. "It's not as if he cares about me or that he thinks that I am the best man for the job. He doesn't want to lose his poster boy, that's all."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll just send in another resignation letter," Harry said, casually dismissing something that would have irritated him just a day go.

Albus was still wondering about that when he was reminded of the fact that he had inadvertently told Ron about Harry's plans to teach at Hogwarts. He had meant to tell his dad about it, but it had slipped his mind. So he told him now and Harry didn't look particularly surprised.

"Your mum told me last night," he said calmly. "Apparently, Ron confronted her about this and she told him that I have actually resigned and that I have no intentions of going back to the Ministry."

"He must have been really angry."

"He was. And Ginny, surprisingly, told him that it was none of his business."

"She's right. It isn't."

"True. But when has your Uncle Ron thought that way? He's always assumed that he'll have a say in my life. And now he can't accept the fact that I want to make my own decisions. Don't get me wrong. He's a good friend and I know he's concerned about me but..."

"His concern can be stifling, sometimes," Albus said, nodding. He understood what what his father meant, because that was exactly how James tended to behave with him. They were silent for a couple of minutes after that.

"Anyway, how was your day yesterday?" Harry said, clearly wanting to change the subject. "We barely had a chance to talk last night."

Albus stared incredulously at his father. There was definitely something going on. He and his siblings had talked nonstop all through dinner the previous night, telling Harry about everything they'd done and Harry had nodded and smiled and clearly, absorbed nothing.

"It was a lot of fun," Albus said and then he launched into a detailed description of the Quidditch match which they had discussed at length the previous night and Harry listened like he was hearing it all for the first time.

"How was your day, Dad?" Albus said when he was done.

"Oh it was good," Harry said, totally unconscious of the fact that as he was smiling a very happy smile as he said those words.

"What did you do?" Albus asked curiously, wondering what it was, that had made his father so happy. Harry looked a bit flustered by that question, like he didn't know what to say. He hesitated, then he opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by the chiming of the Floo. He looked almost grateful for the interruption.

"I'll go see who that is," he said as he walked out of the kitchen...a little too quickly, in Albus' opinion. It was exactly the sort of thing that he did when someone was asking him uncomfortable questions.  _But all I asked him was what he did yesterday,_ Albus thought, feeling thoroughly puzzled.  _Why would he be flustered by that? Unless he has something to hide. He told us that he would be spending the day with Professor Malfoy. Was that not true? Was he somewhere else instead? And why does he look so damn happy all of a sudden? I'm glad he's happy, but I just want to know what or who...who? That's interesting. Is there someone in his life who is suddenly making him happy?_

_..._

Harry walked out of the kitchen feeling a bit like he'd had a narrow escape and telling himself quite firmly to get a grip. He was aware that he'd been a bit lost in his own head since the previous day, but he couldn't help it. He was in love, he was happy and his mind, which had spent so long doing nothing but going over his worries again and again had come to a grinding halt. Something had happened over the past week...he did not know what it was exactly, but he felt as if he had been set free.

Somewhere between all that shagging and talking, he'd laid his worries to rest. He was in love with Draco. He was going to marry him and keep him forever and he didn't give a damn what anyone thought about it, other than his kids, obviously, but that was something he would deal with only when he had to. Right now he just wanted to be happy and he was, bessotedly so. His head was full of Draco and his memories of their week together and he felt a bit like he was floating on air.

Harry was very aware that he was acting a bit like a sixteen year old, in love for the first time. But he felt like a sixteen year old, _more so now than when I was actually sixteen,_ he thought wryly _and I am in love for the first time. But if I don't start acting like myself, everyone will notice and start asking questions. Albus is already looking at me like I've grown an extra head_ , he thought as he walked into the living room and saw Ron sticking his head out through the flames.

"Ron!" he said, his surprise evident in his voice.

"Harry, can I come through?" Ron said, sounding a bit hesitant.

Harry groaned silently. If there was anyone he didn't want to see at that moment, it was Ron. He had no desire whatsoever to have another extended conversation about his life choices and hear exactly why Ron thought they were stupid. A part of him wanted to just say no; tell Ron that he was busy. But then he thought that they might as well have it out now. It was not like he would be able to put off this conversation forever. So he sighed and said, "of course."

Harry was aware that he didn't seem at all welcoming, but he couldn't bring himself to care. If he was reluctant to see his best friend, that was only because Ron had been behaving like anything but a friend, lately and it was time he realised that. Harry was done being patient and putting up with Ron's continued thickheadedness.

Ron stepped out of the Floo feeling a bit uncomfortable. He was here because he wanted to make amends; he wanted to apologise for the way he had been treating Harry lately, but now that he was here, he had no idea what to say. It was obvious that Harry wasn't exactly happy to see him.

"Where's Ginny?" Ron said, more in an attempt to start a conversation than anything else.

"She's gone out with Lily and Jamie. She's taking them to the Tornadoes game this morning," Harry said as Albus walked in, having just finished his breakfast.

"How come you didn't go, Al?" Ron said.

"I wasn't interested," Albus said with a shrug. "And I wanted to spend the dad with Dad."

"Right...um..." Ron was clearly out of his depth.

"Sit down Ron," Harry said with a touch of impatience, as he settled into the couch.

Ron made his way to the armchair. Albus would've loved to stay, but he knew that his presence would only make Ron more uncomfortable, so he quietly went up to his room.

"What is it?" Harry said as soon as Albus left.

"I heard that you resigned," Ron began, deciding that that was the safest approach to take.

"Yeah, I did."

"Are you sure about this, Harry?"

"Wouldn't have done it I wasn't," Harry replied cooly.

"Why, though? What happened?"

"I hate my job. I'm sick to death of it. I hate the long hours, I hate the paperwork and I hate that it takes me away from my kids," Harry replied. "I've told you all of this before, Ron."

"But Harry, everyone hates their job sometimes."

"I hate my job all the time."

"And you think you'll like teaching?" Ron sounded bewildered.

"Honestly, I don't know. But I want to give it a shot."

"What made you think of teaching? You're not...the academic type."

"I know and I didn't think of teaching. I just wanted to quit my job and then McGonagall asked me if I would fill in for six months and and I thought, why not? I have my doubts, of course. I don't know if I'll be any good, but McGonagall thinks I'll be fine and so does Draco. In fact, it was Draco who suggested that she ask me," Harry said, very deliberately bringing Draco into the conversation.

"What?! Why? What does that ferret want with you?" Ron spluttered.

Harry's face hardened. But he kept his cool. "How unoriginal of you, Ron. Surely you can come up with a better insult than that," he said, in a nearly pitch perfect imitation of Draco.

Ron continued to splutter. "You...you're even talking like him," he said.

"Well he is my friend and I've been spending a lot of time with him lately," Harry said as if it was no big deal.

"You're friends?! With that...that git?" Ron spat.

"Yes and I suggest that you stop insulting him."

"But Harry, why?"

"Because I like him, that's why."

"But..."

"Let it go, Ron. Draco is my friend and there's nothing you can do about it. He was there for me when I needed him; he helped me every way he could and I'm not about to let him go," Harry said firmly.

"But Harry, you have me and Hermione, you don't need... _him_ ," Ron said plaintively.

Harry's only response was to raise his eyebrows. It took Ron a couple of seconds to notice the hole that he'd walked into, there.

He coloured. "I mean, I know I haven't been much of a friend, lately, but Harry, you have to understand...Ginny's my sister."

Harry snorted. "It's always something, Ron. You fought me about the divorce even though Ginny wanted it too. You made me feel like I was the only one responsible for the failure of my marriage; you kept telling me that I need to try harder. You didn't once stop to think about what I want or what might make me happy. And while Hermione understood, she wasn't there for me either, because she had to be there for Ginny. So what was I supposed to do? Deal with everything myself until Hermione had the time for me or wait around for you to get your head out of your arse long enough to see things the way they are instead of the way you think they ought to be?"

That shut Ron up for a while.

"I know, Harry and I'm sorry," he said finally. "I know I was wrong. But after everything that we've been through..."

"I know we've been through a lot, Ron. I haven't forgotten. But all that was years ago, decades ago, in fact. Don't tell me that you haven't noticed that we've grown apart over the years. Sure, we still have our boys night out and we celebrate every important occasion with the whole family and we have couple dinners and all that, but when was the last time it was just the three of us, or even the two of us hanging out as friends? I spent years alone at home with the kids while your sister travelled the world playing Quidditch. Do you know how lonely I was? Do you know how little you and Hermione were around? I know you were busy with your own family and with your careers and I don't blame you. But I am not going to sit here and let you claim that you have always been there for me, because you haven't and I am done waiting around."

...

**A/N: Please leave a review on your way out.**


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I hope you'll find that it was worth it.**

**...**

Ron left, feeling rather subdued. He had apologised for the way he'd been behaving lately, but there was little else he could do. It was obvious that Harry was hurt and that it would take him a while to get past it. So Ron decided to leave things as they were and to give his friend a little space. Harry found that most of his anger had melted in the face of Ron's very sincere apology. He had never been the type to hold grudges and he wasn't about to start now. He was glad that he was no longer at odds with Ron, but he was also very aware of the fact the peace was temporary. He couldn't begin to imagine how violently his friend would react when he found out about Draco...

Harry sighed and then he decided that it was not worth worrying about any of that. He went up into his study to write yet another letter to Kingsley, hoping that the man would finally understand that Harry was not about to change his mind.

**...**

Albus was sitting by the window in his room, trying to read. But he couldn't. He was too distracted. He was thinking about his father and wondering what was going on with him. He was so preoccupied that it took nearly a minute for the tapping to get his attention. He looked up to see Scorpius' owl glaring at him. He quickly opened the window and let the bird in. He offered him an Owl Treat which he accepted very grudgingly. Sophocles was a Tyto and as such, he was very proud. Lana hooted from her perch on Albus' bed post and Sophocles responded with a friendly hoot. Albus chuckled, only to have the Tyto glare at him again.

"You have a very impressive glare for an owl," he said and then he opened his letter.

_Dear Al,_

_I had a wonderful time yesterday. You're very lucky to be a part of such a loving family. I will admit that I was a bit nervous, because I wasn't sure how I would be received, but everyone was very friendly. Particularly James and Ted. I'm surprised at how much James has changed..._

_Is it crazy that I saw you just yesterday and I miss you already? It scares me sometimes, when I think about how much I need you. I have always been fairly content, but I have never been so happy. I love you._

_On a completely unrelated note, does your dad (also) suddenly seem a little preoccupied and distracted and perhaps a bit happier than he's been lately?_

_All my love,_

_Scor._

_**...** _

Scorpius' letter made Albus smile as he read it...until he reached the last line and then he just stared, trying to understand the implications of that question. It seemed that both his father and Professor Malfoy had started behaving oddly at the same time. Scorpius hadn't come out and said it, but it was obvious from the way he had phrased his question. Albus came to the only conclusion that he could come to and he sat for a while with his mouth hanging open, feeling a bit stupefied.

Was it actually possible that his dad and Professor Malfoy were together or was he jumping to conclusions? How long had they been together? Was this the reason for the divorce? He dismissed that thought as soon as it came up. His father had too high a sense of honour to cheat on his mother and Professor Malfoy had too much pride to allow something like that. Besides, his parents had repeatedly told him that their marriage had been over for several years now.

_Oh my God! Are they really together?_  He thought _. Is that actually possible? I thought Dad was straight. Well, I thought I was straight, so clearly, I don't know anything about these things. I think Scorpius suspects. He would never have asked me that question otherwise. The way he asked it was highly suggestive. I wonder how he feels about this._

He was so preoccupied that Sophocles had to peck him a couple of times to get his attention. "What?" Albus said a little irritably and then he realised that the owl was waiting for a reply. What was he going to say? His mind was going in a hundred directions.  _Scor is_   _probably in the same situation_ , he thought. He sighed. He looked out of the window. He picked up his quill and started writing.

**...**

Scorpius was waiting anxiously for Albus' reply. He hadn't said much in his letter, but he had made his suspicions obvious. He'd been watching his father closely since the previous day and his initial suspicion was confirmed by his father's strangely preoccupied, oddly happy behaviour.  _Who could it be?_  He had wondered and then he'd realised that Harry was the only person that this father had been spending time with, lately. He'd been stunned for a while. He'd had to walk around his room several times before he was able to absorb the thought. But it was only a suspicion, so he'd decided to test it.

He'd drawn his father into conversation after dinner and he'd deliberately mentioned Harry a few times. His father smiled fondly every single time...it was a fleeting, barely there kind of smile, but it was there.  _It's definitely suggestive, but it is still only a_   _theory,_  he'd thought which was why he'd mentioned it in his letter to Albus. Scorpius was hoping that his theory was right. He would've been happy about anything that made his father smile like that. But he was anxious because he had no idea how Albus would react.

It was just past lunch-time when Sophocles returned with Albus' reply. Scorpius untied the parchment and opened it. He began to read.

_Dear Scor,_

_I am so glad you had a good time yesterday. I too, was a bit surprised to see how friendly everyone was, except for mum and Uncle Ron, that is. But I am honestly past caring about that. I miss you acutely and it is good to know that I am not the only one. You are not crazy, love._

_The question at the end of your letter gave me an answer to something that I have been wondering about since yesterday. My dad does seem rather happy all of a sudden and he has been quite preoccupied since yesterday evening._

_I take it from your question that your dad is the same. There is obviously a connection...I know what you're thinking because I'm thinking it too and I'm a bit in shock. I'm still trying to get my head around this, but I have to say that if we're right, I'm going to be very happy indeed._

_I also feel a bit stupid. How did we not notice? And then again, maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. I wish there was a way to confirm this. Any ideas?_

_Lots of love,_

_Al._

_**...** _

_Dear Al,_

_We didn't notice anything because we were too preoccupied with each other. I too want to confirm this if possible so I can be properly happy about it. The only thing we can do is get them together and observe. Why don't you and your dad come over to the Manor tomorrow and spend the day here? That will give us an opportunity to watch them._

_Love,_

_Scor._

_**...** _

_Excellent idea. I just told my dad and he practically beamed in response. I don't think he had any idea how goofy he looked, or how adorable. I can't wait to see them together. I think I'm starting to understand why Lily tends to go all wistful and glassy eyed around us._

_Love,_

_Al._

_**...** _

_I just told my dad as well and he said, "Oh! That's good. That's very good." I think he was going for nonchalant. He missed it by a mile. I know exactly what you mean by goofy and adorable. And remind me to apologise to Lily...I'm feeling all wistful too._

_Love,_

_Scor._

_**...** _

It was the morning of the next day. Albus was at breakfast with the rest of the family when Harry announced that he was considering going back to Hogwarts a few days before the Christmas break was due to end. It was a surprise to everyone.

"When do you want to go back?" Albus said.

"On the 31st. That'll give me just about a week to prepare and to get ready for classes."

"Can't you do that here?" Lily asked.

"I need the Hogwarts Library, love."

"What about us then?" James said.

"You'll stay with me, of course," Ginny replied.

"I thought you were going out of town today," Harry said.

"I am. But I will be back on the morning of the 31st and I plan to be in town until term starts, so it should be fine."

"Okay then," Lily said and James shrugged like it didn't make a difference to him either way.

Albus was thoughtful. "Dad is it okay if I come with you?" he said.

"Sure. I could use the company."

Ginny looked a bit put out. "I'm going to be moving out on the first," she said. "I was hoping you would stay and help, Al."

"Sorry mum. It's just that I don't like the idea of dad being alone at Hogwarts. Practically nobody stayed back this year. It can get awfully quiet and lonely in there. Dad's about to start a new life and I don't think he should do it alone."

Ginny couldn't very well argue with that. And it was not as if she needed Albus' help. She had James and Lily, Ron and Hermione, George and Angelina and all their kids. Most, if not all of them would turn up to help. She would miss Albus of course, but perhaps it was only fair that if two of the kids stayed with her, one of them should go with Harry. Albus was right. Harry was starting a new life too. She felt a bit ashamed at not having thought of that herself.

"Why do you have to leave on the 31st, Harry?" Ginny said after a bit. "You'll miss the new year's eve party at mums."

"That's kind of the idea, Gin," Harry said softly.

That led to an uncomfortable silence that grew louder by the minute, until James started an overly enthusiastic conversation about the Quidditch match that they had been to the previous day and Lily and Albus joined in...

**...**

Draco was sitting in his study wondering what Scorpius was up to. His son had been looking at him rather a lot since the previous day, _like he's scrutinising me,_ he thought. _It's like he's trying to figure something out. And why is he suddenly so interested in Harry?_ He wondered. _Does he suspect something? Has he told Albus? Is that why they came up with this whole 'let's spend the day together' thing?_

He looked at his son who was stretched out on the couch opposite, apparently reading a book. He watched Scorpius for a bit. Scorpius turned and smiled and then he coolly went back to reading. He was giving nothing away. For all that he was a Ravenclaw, Scorpius had a good bit of Slytherin in him and he had almost perfected the Malfoy mask. Draco sighed and wondered if he was imagining things. _I wish we could just tell them and get it over with,_ he thought.

There was a knock on the door. It was Dippy who'd come to announce that Mr Harry Potter and Mr Albus Potter had just arrived. "I've put them in the morning room, master," she said.

Draco and Scorpius went to meet Harry and Albus. The boys hugged while Draco and Harry smiled the polite smiles that were getting harder and harder to fake every day. They sat on opposite sides of the coffee table while Albus and Scorpius perched on the couch. They drank wine and buttebeer and talked about all sorts of inconsequential things. Draco could barely focus on the conversation and Harry was not much better.

Albus and Scorpius pretended to be absorbed in each other, but they were in fact, watching their fathers closely. They noticed the lingering glances, the sheer randomness of their conversation and the tendency to repeat themselves. By the end of an hour, they were reasonably convinced _. Now we just have to get them to tell us,_ Albus thought. But he had no idea how...

"Let's go up to my room, Al," Scorpius suggested after a while.

"Sure," Albus said and then he followed him out.

Neither of them missed the looks of relief on their fathers' faces.

Harry and Draco waited until their sons were out of the room. They waited for another five minutes after that. Draco picked up his wand and put up a locking spell and a silencing spell. Neither of them was aware that their sons were still in the corridor.

"I missed you so much, Harry," Draco said as he reached for the other man.

"I missed you too," Harry said as he practically fell into Draco's arms and buried his face in his chest. He loved it when Draco held him like this. It made him feel warm and cherished.

**...**

Albus and Scorpius heard the doors shut and they felt the muffled buzz of the silencing spell. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Now what?" Albus said.

"Watch," Scorpius said as he drew his wand and pointed it at the wall.

He muttered a spell and the wall became transparent. Albus gasped. He hadn't even known that such a spell existed. They looked into the room and they both had to resist the urge to squeal. Harry and Draco were hugging...they held each other close and they looked so very happy. It was just a hug, but it expressed so much. From the way they held on to each other, it was obvious that they were very much in love. It was hands down the most adorable sight that either of them had ever seen. Scorpius ended the spell after a few seconds and they walked away in silence.

They went up to Scorpius' room and began to plot.

 

 

** ** ** **


	60. Chapter 60

"I missed you so much, Harry," Draco said as he reached for the other man.

"I missed you too," Harry said and he practically fell into Draco's arms and buried his face in his chest. There was nothing he liked more than to be held like this. It made him feel warm and loved...it made him come alive, almost. Harry nuzzled against Draco's neck...he so loved the way his man smelled. He blushed a little at that thought as he lifted his head and then they kissed...softly at first as they were always wont to do. It was almost as if they needed to reassure themselves of each other's presence and closeness before they went any further.

That was the best thing about their relationship in Draco's opinion. For all the passion between them, there were both really tender with each other. After all that they had been through in their lives, they could see how precious this was and they knew enough to cherish it. Draco ran his arms up and down Harry’s back, using the slightest bit of pressure. He knew how much Harry liked that. “It makes me feel as if all my tension and stress is literally bleeding out of me,” Harry had told him once.

Harry sighed and he almost melted against Draco as they continued to kiss. Draco ran his tongue over Harry's lips and Harry opened his mouth and let Draco in as he angled his head and pulled him close. Harry had his arms around Draco’s neck. He ran his fingers through the Draco’s hair. He loved how soft it felt against his skin. He stroked the back of Draco's neck making him sigh happily.

They were both very aware that their sons were in the house and they had no intentions of taking this any further than a kiss. After all, the boys might return any moment and it wouldn't do for them to find their fathers behind closed doors. But they had missed each other and they wanted each other badly and nothing but the most thorough snog would be even remotely satisfying. They kissed for several minutes and then they pulled apart. They settled into the couch with their arms around each other, hoping that their sons would leave them alone for a little while longer.

...

Albus and Scorpius were up in Scorpius' room, talking. Scorpius was sitting on the couch while Albus lay with his head on his boyfriend’s lap.

"Why aren't they telling us?" he said. "Are they afraid that we won't understand?"

"They may be," Scorpius said thoughtfully. "And then again, maybe they're just waiting for the right moment. After all, it isn't that long since your parents told you about their divorce. Maybe they think it's just too soon."

"Hmmm...Should we just let them be? Let them take their time and tell us when they're ready?"

"We could. But I can't help thinking that they would just be happier and more relaxed if they told us."

"It'll be nice for them to know that we're happy about it," Albus said. "I don't know how long they've been together, but they must have had to sneak around quite a bit."

"A bit like us in the beginning," Scorpius said.

"Yeah. But we had help. We had both Lily and Rosie covering for us. They haven't had anyone."

"It must have been so difficult. I wonder how they managed to get any time together at all."

Albus sighed. "We just need to get them to tell us somehow."

Scorpius frowned and he said, "I think I have an idea..."

...

It was a couple of hours later. Albus and Scorpius rejoined their dads and they all made their way to the family dining room for lunch. They sat around that table, talking about Hogwarts and their plans to return early. Albus was delighted to hear that both Draco and Scorpius would be going back with him and his dad. The conversation went on like this for a while and then Albus decided that it was time to put their little plan into action. He glanced at Scorpius and raised his eyebrow in question. Scorpius nodded imperceptibly.

"So dad," Albus began, "Scor and I were wondering how you two," he said, pointing between Harry and Draco, "became friends? We've heard so much about your legendary rivalry, we still do, in fact. So what happened?"

It was an innocent enough question, but it made Harry a bit uncomfortable because it was getting harder and harder to pretend that he and Draco were just friends. He had never been any good at subterfuge and he was terrible at hiding his feelings, so he was a bit concerned that he might end up saying too much. Draco looked at both boys with narrowed eyes. Once again, he had the feeling that they were up to something.  _Well, if they suspect something and if this is their way of getting it out of us, I'm all for it. I'd much rather tell them and be done with it. I’m sure they’ll be happy about it and it will be a weight off Harry’s head as well,_ he thought and then he smiled, having decided to help this thing along any way he could.

"It was over a year ago, I think," Harry began. "We were badly stuck in this poisoning case that we'd been trying to solve. The ministry's Potions department couldn't identify what the potion being used in the murders was. It was something that no one had seen before and because they couldn't identify the potion or the ingredients that went into it, they couldn't make an antidote."

"We struggled with the case for a while and then I decided that we needed outside help. Draco was the obvious choice, though not everyone agreed. But it was my decision in the end, so I went to meet him..." Harry tried to keep his narrative as neutral as possible, but it was hard not to smile at this point, as he remembered that first time that he'd met Draco after a gap of twenty years.

"I had no idea what to expect really," Harry was addressing Draco directly now. "It had been twenty years and I was sure you'd grown up and all that, but I think I was half afraid that you would just call me names and throw me out."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why would I do that?" he said.

"I don't know why I thought you would. Probably because up until then all we'd done was bring out the worst in each other...”

“What did you think?" Harry asked curiously. "When you saw me outside your door?"

"I thought I was seeing things. I thought that maybe, I'd had too much to drink. And then you came in and started spouting details about this case and I had to admit that you were real. And then you gave me a bunch of documents and a few vials of that potion and you left. I had to walk up and down my living room several times saying, “Harry Potter was here to ask me for my help,” before it sank in," Draco said. He stared at Harry as he remembered that day which seemed so long ago now. Harry stared right back. They forgot all about their sons for a moment.

Albus and Scorpius grinned at each other as they noted their fathers' complete absorption in each other. Draco and Harry looked away from each other after a moment, both a bit embarrassed at the way they'd been staring.

"What happened next?" Scorpius said, making it seem as if neither he nor Albus had noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Um...well, Draco helped me solve that first case and then I started going to him whenever I needed help...and we began to get to know each other a little bit," Harry said.

"Harry was always a bit distant, though," Draco added, deliberately provoking Harry into showing some emotion.

"I was not!"

"Yes, you were. You would always drop in after dinner, you would always come in straight from work and you would never stay long enough to talk about anything other than the case. Don't deny it," Draco said as he turned a slightly accusatory, slightly hurt look on Harry.

Harry coloured. "You're right and I am sorry, but I had no idea that you would want me to stick around and chat and...I was already coming to you and asking you for one favour after another. I guess I just didn't want to be in your way."

"Be in my way indeed! How could you possibly have thought that? Couldn't you see how lonely I was and how much I welcomed every visit? What did you think it meant when I offered you a drink nearly every time you turned up? It meant that I wanted you to stay and talk to me for a while."

"Really? I thought you were just being polite. Besides why would I have thought that you wanted me to stay and talk? I'm not a particularly interesting person. I'm not witty and charming like you..." Harry trailed off, realising that he had perhaps said a little too much.

Draco was staring at him incredulously. "How could you possibly have thought that?!" he demanded.

Harry shrugged...he ran a hand through his hair...he scratched the back of his neck. All indications of the fact that he was feeling uncomfortable and maybe a little awkward. He looked apologetic and confused and somewhat pleased by Draco's indignation on his behalf.

Draco found his indignation melting in the face of Harry's extremely adorable behaviour. All he wanted was to draw him into a hug and kiss him stupid. It was only when he saw the look of shock and embarrassment on Harry's face that he realised that he'd actually said that out loud. Draco hadn't meant to say the words. They had just slipped out. He had hoped that the truth would slip out, but he had expected Harry to be the one who did the slipping. Harry was the one who was supposed to be terrible at keeping secrets, after all.

Harry was mortified as he stared at Draco and wondered how they were going to deal with this. He turned to Albus with no real idea of what he was going to say. It was only then that he noticed that Albus and Scorpius had their hands on their mouths and they were laughing. It took Harry a moment to understand what was going on.

"You...you knew?" he said, sounding a bit stupefied.

Neither of the boys said anything for a moment. They were still laughing.

"We guessed," Albus said finally.

_How?_  Harry wanted to ask, but there were more important things to discuss at the moment.

"You're...fine with it?" he said, as he looked at Albus and Scorpius in turn.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we be?" Scorpius said as he got up, went over to Harry and hugged him. It was an uncharacteristically affectionate gesture from him, but Harry had always greeted him with a hug ever since he'd found out that he was Albus' boyfriend and this was the best way that Scorpius could think of, to let Harry know just how happy he was about this.

Draco let out a relieved sigh. "I told you the boys would be fine with it," he said even as Albus came over to him and shook his hand.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" he said.

"We thought it might be too soon. It hasn’t been that long since you heard about your parents’ divorce.”

"Are you sure you're happy about this Albus?" Draco said after a minute. "I hope you're not feeling bad on behalf of your mum. I had nothing to do with the divorce, you know. Harry and I weren't together until..."

"I know, Professor, you don't have to explain," Albus said.

"That's Draco to you, son."

"Right. Of course. Draco, I'm truly very happy about this."

"Good, I'm glad," Draco said as he drew Albus into a hug.

Harry looked at the two of them and then he looked at Scorpius who still smiling very happily at him and he felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart. He knew that not everyone would be so understanding, but it was wonderful to see that both Albus and Scorpius were happy for them.

_One step at a time_ , he told himself.

 


	61. Chapter 61

A/N: This chapter is as short as it is, because it is an interlude. I hope you enjoy it, though.

**...**

The next couple of days went by uneventfully. And then it was the night before Harry and Albus were due to leave for Hogwarts. Ginny was out of town and Harry was alone at home with his kids. They were all in the kitchen making dinner. Harry was rolling out the pie dough, while Lily chopped the vegetables. Albus was making a stew and James was grilling the chicken. Harry looked up from the dough for a moment and smiled. This was just the sort of cosy, domestic evening that he liked. He'd taught his kids to cook at a fairly young age and they had spent many evenings cooking together. It was one of their favourite things to do.

They all knew how to cook with magic, but Harry had always found a certain satisfaction in cooking the Muggle way. A feeling that he'd passed on to his kids. Ginny could never understand why they would choose to do things with their hands when they could simply wave a wand. To her, it was just another incomprehensible thing that Harry did. They were talking about the next term and making plans, as they cooked. All three of the kids were looking forward to having their dad at Hogwarts. Lily was insistent that Harry should coach the Gryffindor team.

"Professor Malfoy coaches the Slytherins," was her reasoning.

"Yeah. And it'll be fun to see the two of you pitted against each other again," James said.

"I'm afraid I'll be shown up rather badly in that particular contest. Draco has been coaching for the last twenty years. I've barely managed three games a year in that time."

"It's so strange to hear you call him Draco," James said. "What happened to the old rivalry, Dad?"

"What happened to your rivalry with Scorpius?" Harry countered.

James was surprised by the turn around but he answered easily enough. "I was wrong about him. He's a very nice guy, charming as hell."

Albus couldn't help but smile.

Harry smiled too. "Turns out Draco's the same. He was nice even when I was being aloof and he was there for me when I badly needed someone to lean on..."  _And he pretty much charmed his way into my heart,_  he thought.

"I can't believe you guys are going to miss the New Years Eve party tomorrow," Lily said, looking at Harry and Albus. "What are you going to do all by yourselves?"

"We won't be all by ourselves," Harry replied. "Draco and Scorpius are going to be there too. We'll probably sneak some food from the kitchens and have a little party of our own."

James raised his eyebrows at that. "Professor Malfoy is actually going back to Hogwarts a week early, just for you..."

"To help me, yes."

"Hmmm..."

"I'll miss you guys, though," Harry said.

"We'll miss you too, Dad," Lily said as he leaned over and kissed her father on his cheek.

"This will be the first new year's eve that we won't be together," Albus said after a moment.

"And you said the divorce wouldn't change anything," James muttered.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry it has to be this way...It's just that I can't handle another Weasley family gathering. Not now."

None of the kids knew what to say to that. So they kept quiet.

**...**

It was a couple of hours later. Dinner was done and the kids had wandered off. Harry had stayed behind to clean the kitchen and wash all the dishes. This was one thing that he liked to do alone. There was nothing he liked more than to wave his wand and watch the kitchen right itself. Despite all the years that had gone by, he still remembered how tired he used to get as a child, doing all those chores every night while his uncle and aunt sat in front of the TV and watched the news. Harry had been doing magic for decades now. Yet, it gave him such a thrill to point his wand and watch the dishes start to clean themselves...

He stepped out of the kitchen and found Lily and Albus sprawled on the couch, talking softly. He heard the name 'Jeremy' a couple of times and he understood what they were talking about, so he left them to it and went up to his study. He found James waiting for him. He was standing by the window, looking thoughtful. He turned around when he heard his father come in.

"Something on your mind?" Harry said as made his way to his favourite chair

"Um...yeah," James said. He scratched the back of his neck, he sighed and then he too sat down. He was clearly uncomfortable.

"What is it, son?"

"I don't like the idea of you and Al missing the New Year's Eve party at the Burrow. Is this how it is going to be from now on? Are you going to stay away from every family gathering?" He sounded a bit petulant as he said those words. It struck Harry then that there was still so much of the child about his eldest son. And as in everything else, he was clearly having a difficult time adapting to this change.

Harry took James' hands in his and squeezed them lightly. "It is not always going to be like this. The way things are now, with everyone upset about the divorce, it is best if I keep my distance. It's only for a while..."

"But why Dad? They're your family too."

Harry felt his eyes prickle with tears at those words. They were his family too, or so he had believed since he was eleven, but their behaviour in the past few days had shown him that they were Ginny's family first and they would always be. It was understandable, of course.  _Ginny is their daughter and the only one they have. It is perfectly natural that they will be more concerned about her than about me,_  he thought.

"I know that, Jamie. They are always going to be my family, but they are your mum's family first and they're all hurting a little right now, particularly Molly. She loves me like a son, but she can't bear the idea that her daughter is getting divorced. I know she's trying to be fair, but I guess she can't help blaming me just a little bit."

"But that's not fair!"

"True. But it can't be helped. She'll get over it...In the mean time, it's best if I keep my distance."

James frowned and stared at the floor for a bit. "It's not fair," he said again.

"I know. Just give it a couple of months and everything will be fine." Harry knew even as he said it, that it wasn't true. Things would go straight to hell, the moment he told everyone about Draco. He could only imagine how angry James would be.

**...**

Harry woke up early the next morning. He was still packing when Ginny got home. She stood by his bedroom door for a moment and looked at him. That was still so much about him that reminded her of the boy she had once known. And yet, he seemed a bit worn out, like life had taken its toll on him. Ginny could still remember how happy she had been on her wedding day. All those hopes and dreams...she'd been sure that they would last, that they would be together till the end and here they were, poised to walk out of each other's lives forever.

She had a lump in her throat as she walked into the room. Harry looked up at her and he knew exactly what she was feeling. They had had their share of troubles and disagreements and they were glad that their marriage was over, but they had meant a good deal to each other at one time and they had been married for twenty years...and now it was all over. They would never live under the same roof again and they probably wouldn't even see each other unless it was an occasion of some kind. He thought about the kids that they had once been and the dreams that they had dreamed and he had a lump in his throat too.

"This is it huh?" Ginny said.

"Yeah."

"You're starting a new life..."

"So are you..."

"I know haven't been very understanding of your choices, Harry. But I hope you'll be happy."

"I hope you'll be happy too, Gin," Harry said.

"I love you," she said and she couldn't stop the tears that rolled down her face.

"I love you too," Harry said and then he drew her into a hug.

They held each other for a long minute. They looked up when they heard a noise. All three of their kids were standing outside the door and looking at them. Lily had tears running down her cheeks while her brothers looked suspiciously bright eyed. They walked into the room and into their parents' arms. It was an emotional moment for all of them. They had all accepted the fact of the divorce, but it had been easy to ignore when they were all in the same house. But now, Harry was preparing to leave and tomorrow Ginny would move out and their lives would never be the same again.

 


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t been able to update because I have been away attending to a family emergency. I only got back around ten days ago and I have been trying to write this chapter and failing miserably. Sometimes, a break means that you lose touch with your characters and it can be very difficult to get their voices right again. 
> 
> This chapter isn’t very long and nothing much happens in it really. But I’m posting it anyway because I need to get back to writing this story. I'm afraid I'll lose all connection with it if I don't. The next chapter will be longer and it will take the story forward, I promise. For now, please bear with me.

Harry and Albus Apparated to a spot just outside Hogwarts and found Draco and Scorpius waiting for them. The boys hugged immediately while Harry and Draco just looked at each other and smiled. They both felt a bit awkward. They’d got so used to hiding their relationship that they had no real idea how to behave around their sons now that the boys knew about them.

They walked through the gates and Harry found that he was suddenly quite nervous. So much had happened in the past couple of weeks that he hadn't really absorbed the enormity of his decisions. But the sight of Hogwarts looming in front of him, brought them to his attention quite forcefully. He had literally left his old life behind to start a new one. His marriage was over, he had a new partner and a new job...it was all a bit disconcerting.

Draco reached for Harry's hand and held it in a warm grip. _He probably knows exactly what I'm thinking,_  Harry thought as he squeezed Draco's hand. He was very aware of the fact that if he was here and if he was happy, it was all because of Draco. _If I wasn't for him, I'd still be stuck in a stressful job and a painful marriage, distanced from my kids and desperately unhappy,_ he thought, as he subtly tugged Draco a little closer to him. Albus noticed and he smiled. It made him so glad to see his dad lean on Draco, look for support and find it.

They walked up to the big front doors of the castle and Draco let go of Harry. He pushed open the doors and they all walked in. The boys went to their dormitories, while Harry and Draco made their way to Professor McGonagall's office. She was glad to see them both. She summoned a house-elf to take Harry's things to his quarters and then she offered them both some tea. She had obviously heard about Harry's divorce, but she didn't refer to it, except to ask how the kids were dealing with it. Then she handed Harry copies of the syllabus and Professor Edwards' lesson plans and gave him a few general instructions.

They talked a little bit more and then the two men took their leave. Professor McGonagall smiled indulgently after them. She knew all about their relationship of course. Dumbledore had told her the moment he’d found out. Despite all the years that had passed, she could still see the boys that they used to be and she was inordinately glad that after all that after all that they had been through, they had somehow found their happiness in each other.

...

Albus and Scorpius went straight to the Ravenclaw dormitory. None of the seventh year Ravenclaw boys had stayed back so they had the entire dorm to themselves. Neither of them saw the sense in Albus putting his things away the Gryffindor dorm, so he set his trunk next to Scorpius' He kicked his shoes off and flung himself on the bed and held out an arm for his boyfriend. Scorpius smiled as he too kicked off his shoes and joined Albus. They wrapped themselves around each other and kissed lazily. It was good to back at school. It was wonderful to be together again and to know that they wouldn’t have to go to bed alone that night. They pulled away from each other after a bit. Scorpius caressed Albus’ face and wondered how he had got so lucky. Albus ran his fingers through Scorpius hair; he ran his eyes over that beautiful face, took in the gorgeous eyes and that lovely smile and he fell a little more in love

"Do you have idea how beautiful you are?" he said.

Scorpius blushed and Albus chuckled. "Oh I love it when you do that," he said and Scorpius blushed some more.

"Prat," he mumbled as he snuggled up to Albus and nuzzled his neck.

Albus sighed happily. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too...so much that it scares me sometimes."

"I know exactly what you mean. Promise you'll love me forever?"

"...and beyond. We'll even be ghosts together," Scorpius said and they both laughed.

...

It was nearly midnight. Harry and Draco were in Draco's chambers along with their sons. The boys had snuggled under a blanket on the couch while Harry and Draco sat in the big arm chairs opposite. They were drinking wine and talking about the coming term and Harry’s plans for it. Draco was trying to give him some advice, but he was constantly interrupted by professor Dumbledore who had joined Professor Snape in his portrait. He kept chiming in with what he called helpful advice. But mostly it was a whole bunch of stories about all the other teachers who had ever taught Defence.

"Remus was my absolute favourite," he said after a bit and Snape snorted.

Dumbledore was unperturbed. "I know you never liked him, Severus, but you can't deny that he was good teacher," he said.

"He made fun of me in front of the students! He made them laugh at me," Snape said indignantly.

Draco and Harry remembered that day very well and they couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

"Poor Neville. He was terrified of you, Severus," Draco said. “Still is, the poor sod.”

Snape huffed. "That was no reason to make a laughing stock of me..."

"Oh quit being so dramatic. We only laughed at you for a couple of seconds before we went back to being terrified again."

“You and Potter...terrified of me? How stupid do you think I am?” Snape sneered, but it was obvious that his heart wasn’t in it.

“Maybe terror is a strong word. Let’s call it cautious respect shall we, Professor?” Harry said teasingly.

“Insufferable brat...” Snape muttered while Draco did his best not to laugh.

And so it went. The boys listened to this four way conversation feeling very amused and more than a little happy to see their dads laughing and looking so carefree. The conversation went on for a while and then it was midnight...the start of a new year. Albus and Scorpius hugged and kissed exuberantly while their fathers looked on indulgently. They would have liked to kiss too, but there was no way they were going to do that in front of their sons, so they settled for a quick hug.

It would be a while before they would be comfortable with expressing their affection in front of other people. Their sons noticed, of course.

“I wish you guys would just relax,” Albus said.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“We know that you’re a couple and that you’re very much in love,” Scorpius said.

“So?” Draco drawled.

“So, it’s okay for you to hug or to hold hands in front of us,” Scorpius replied.

“Sure, we don’t want you to start making out, but you should relax around us, be natural with each other,” Albus said.

“Yeah...show a little affection for each other. It’s not going to make us uncomfortable,” Scorpius added.

“In fact, I’m sure we’d find it all very cute...” Albus said.

Harry had to laugh at that. “It’s going to take us a little while, okay,” he said.

“Sure. Just think about it, alright,” Albus said.

The two boys left soon after.

"Well, that's our cue," Dumbledore said as he got up and led a furiously protesting Snape out of the portrait.

"They need a little time alone, Severus," he said as he stepped out of the frame.

Harry and Draco couldn’t help but laugh at everyone’s efforts to give them a bit of alone time. They stayed in their chairs and looked at each other for a moment and neither of them could help remembering exactly how lonely they had both been at the same time last year. They got out of their chairs and walked over to each other slowly.

“Thank you,” Harry said as he drew Draco into a hug.

“I love you,” Draco said as he rubbed his nose against Harry’s neck.

“I love you too,” Harry said and then he reached up to kiss the man he loved. They kissed slowly at first but soon their need for each other became a little too urgent.

“Bedroom,” Draco whispered.

Harry nodded and they stumbled into the bedroom and landed on the bed kissing fiercely. They ran their hands up and down each other’s bodies, feeling quite irritated by all the clothing that kept getting in their way. It was several days since they had been with each other and neither of them was in the mood to wait. Harry vanished their clothes with a flick of his hand, making Draco gasp.  He ran his hands all over Draco’s body, relishing the silky smoothness of his skin, the feel of his lean and hard body against him.

Draco began to kiss Harry all over his face and his neck as he ran his hands down Harry’s back and cupped his arse. Harry moaned and arched into the touch and soon they were moving frantically against each other, seeking release. There was a time for lazy lovemaking. But this was not it. They had missed each other too much; they needed each other too badly to be able to wait or to take things slowly. So they went at each other with all they had and soon they collapsed in a contented heap. They cleaned themselves up and slipped under the covers. They snuggled up to each other and kissed lazily.

“Happy new year, Harry," Draco whispered as he snuggled up to him.

“Happy new year, love," Harry replied as he wrapped his arms around Draco and smiled. "The year couldn't have got off to a better start," he said and Draco chuckled.

They were well aware of all the difficulties ahead of them, but for the moment, they were happy. As long as they were together, they would find a way to deal with everything else.

 

 


	63. Chapter 63

It was the afternoon of the next day. Harry and Draco were in Draco's rooms. Harry was at the table, working on his lesson plans while Draco sat in the arm-chair with a whole bundle of assignments that the third and fourth year students had submitted just before the vacation.

"If I didn't absolutely love teaching, I would've quit a long time ago," he grumbled. Assessment was his least favourite job in the world.

Harry grunted noncommittally. He had enough on his own head to worry about. Besides he'd learnt by now that Draco would grumble constantly while grading projects or examination papers. It was just his way of dealing with the work and "all of the stupidity" as he said repeatedly.

"I wonder if Snape grumbled as much," Harry said after a bit.

"Grumbled? I bet he swore and threw things around," Draco said, casting a sly look at Snape's portrait. Snape was sitting in his arm-chair with a book in hand and he appeared to be reading, but a tell-tale flush on his face told Draco that his God-father was in fact listening to their conversation and trying very hard not to react.

"Hmmm...I can picture him swearing quite colourfully while dealing with my stuff. I was appallingly bad at Potions."

Draco chuckled.

"But in my defence, it is a difficult subject," Harry continued.

"So is Defence against the dark arts," Draco said mildly. "We had dreadful teachers for that subject. Yet you excelled at it."

"Learning Defence was the only way I could stay alive all those years. It was something that I just had to learn."

Snape was listening intently now.

"That is powerful motivation, I have to agree. What bothered Severus I think was that you simply didn't try."

"I had other things on my mind."

"True. But that didn't prevent you from trying to learn Transfiguration or Charms."

"They were useful subjects!" Harry said and then he coloured. "I see what you're getting at. I never thought Potions was useful or important, I guess. I know better now, but back then I really didn't care."

"Neither do a lot of these idiots," Draco said gesturing vaguely at the stack of parchment in his lap. "They all seem to think that unless you're flourishing a wand, you're not doing magic. Potion making is powerful magic. It bothers the hell out of me that students don't see that." Draco sounded indignant. Snape was nodding in sympathy.

"You poor darling," Harry said teasingly. Draco smiled in spite of himself. He tossed the stack of parchment aside and went over to the table. He wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed the top of his head.

"I'm so glad you're here," he said softly.

"All thanks to you."

Snape mumbled something about sappy idiots. The two men ignored him.

Harry drew Draco into his lap and kissed him softly.

Snape swore and quickly left his portrait, muttering darkly under his breath as he went.

The two men burst out laughing. It was so much fun to get under Snape's skin like that. Much as he respected Snape, Harry was happy to get a bit of own back for all that Snape had put him through when he was a kid. And all he had to do to annoy the man was to kiss Draco in front of him. Now what could be better?

**...**

Albus and Scorpius had spent all morning in the library catching up with their homework. They'd gone to Hogsmeade for lunch and spent a bit of time shopping for books and school supplies. It was nearly dinner time when they got back to school. They dumped their stuff in the dorm and went to see their fathers, who had asked the boys to join them for dinner. Draco put away his work the moment the boys knocked on his door. He would use any excuse to take a break from assessment. Harry continued to work though. He looked up and nodded vaguely at the boys when they walked in.

"It's dinnertime, Harry," Draco said as a house-elf appeared and began to set the table.

"Just another five minutes, love," Harry said absently.

The boys couldn't help smiling at Harry's unconscious use of that endearment.

"What are you working so hard on?" Albus said as he went up to his dad and leaned over his shoulder.

"I'm studying harder than I ever have," Harry said. "You won't believe how difficult this teaching business is."

Draco snorted. "You have my sympathy. Now are you going to join us for dinner or not?"

"I just need another couple of minutes..."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I know exactly what that means," he said.

Albus left his father to his work and went to join the others.

"What have you two done all day?" Draco said, as he began to serve the food.

"We did homework all morning and then we went to Hogsmeade for a bit. What about you?" Scorpius said.

"I've been grading projects all day and my brain is fried. The amount of idiocy I have to put up with...it's unbelievable."

Scorpius chuckled. This was a very familiar rant.

"Harry the soup is going cold," Draco said after a few minutes.

"Sorry, sorry," Harry said as he joined them at the table. "That chapter on stinging hexes took so long to prepare. Honestly, how do you do this day after day?"

"It's only difficult in the beginning. Then you get used to it and you learn. It'll get easier, I promise."

"I hope you're right. But that is not my only problem. I may be prepared and all that, but I'm seriously daunted by the idea of facing a room full of teenagers."

"Relax. You'll be fine. You're Harry Potter," Draco said.

Harry snorted.

"Dad's right you know," Scorpius said. "Most of the kids will be too much in awe of you to behave badly."

"Just watch out for the flirting though," Draco said drily and the two boys snickered. Draco glared at them.

"Flirting?" Harry said, looking panicked. "The students actually flirt with you?"

Albus and Scorpius were laughing openly now. Draco glared at them some more, but it had absolutely no effect.

"What’s going on?" Harry said.

"You should see the cards and gifts that dad gets every Valentine's day," Scorpius said between giggles.

"There was this one last year," Albus said. "It was big and pink and it sang..."

"You should've seen dad's face..."

"He was so stunned. It was hilarious."

Draco was blushing a bright red now. Harry's lips were twitching.

"Go ahead. Laugh at me. Wait till it's your turn," Draco muttered.

Harry went back to looking panicked. "But what do you do? How do you deal with it?" he said.

"Mostly I just ignore it. But if someone crosses the line, I tell them off and give them detention with Filch."

"That's evil."

"I'm a Slytherin."

They carried on like that for a while and then the boys gleefully told Harry several anecdotes about the love notes and candy hearts that tended to appear randomly on Draco's desk and the amount of mistletoe that sprouted in the dungeons the moment December rolled around. Draco shook his head at them, but then he joined in the laughter and contributed a few anecdotes of his own.

They finished dinner and Draco decided that he'd graded enough projects for one day and that it was time to get a few other things done.

"I'm going to go inventory my stores," he said. "It's going to take at least three days to get done so I'd better start."

"I'll help you." Albus said.

"Thanks. What about you?" Draco asked Scorpius.

"I'm going to stay here. I still have some homework I need to get done."

Draco and Albus left while Harry and Scorpius settled down to work. Scorpius had an essay to write for Transfiguration. Harry continued to work his way through the text books and the reference books and make notes as he went. It was hard work, but he found that he liked it. He knew a lot of this stuff already, but as an Auror his focus had always been on the practical side of things.

Now he was actually learning why a particular spell worked in one way and not another, how much power it took to do a particular spell, what kind of magic a spell involved. He was beginning to understand how defensive magic actually worked. All of this was stuff that he should have been taught at school. But nearly all of his Defence teachers had been dreadful. And if Edwards' notes were anything to go by, this lot of students weren't faring any better than he had.

"Scorpius..."

"Yeah."

"How long has Edwards been teaching here?"

"About a year and a half I think."

"And before that?"

"We had a new teacher every year."

"Has anyone of them taught you magical theory in Defence?"

"No. They just show us how to do the spells and that's it. I've always wondered though. We've been studying magical theory in Charms and Potions and Transfiguration... Herbology even. But never Defence. I'm sure it would be fascinating."

"It is," Harry said and then he proceeded to explain some of the stuff he'd been reading about and soon they were immersed in conversation.

"I think you're going to make a wonderful teacher," Scorpius said after a while. "You explained that so well. It was brilliant," he said.

It was such honest praise. Harry was really touched. "Thank you," he said simply.

"It's the truth," Scorpius said with a shrug. "You walk into a classroom and do what you did just now...you'll blow their minds. You're a natural at this, Harry. You have nothing to worry about.

...

Draco and Albus worked steadily for two hours before deciding to call it quits.

"Let's go, Albus. We can get back to it tomorrow," Draco said with a yawn.

"Yeah okay," Albus said as he got up and stretched.

"I need a drink."

"I need to sleep."

"I wonder what Harry and Scorpius are up to."

"They're probably still working."

They locked up the store room and went through Draco's office back into his chambers. They found Harry and Scorpius deep in conversation discussing some arcane point of magical theory. They were so involved in the conversation that they didn't notice Draco and Albus come in.

"Now isn't that a happy sight," Draco murmured.

Yeah..." Albus sounded wistful. He couldn't help thinking that the four of them were starting to behave like a family. He didn't know how James and Lily would react to this, but he dearly wished that they would understand and make room for Draco and Scorpius in their lives. It was perhaps naive of him, but he couldn't help wanting it. They had all been through so much lately, surely they deserved some peace... 


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know how slow the updates have become and I am sorry. I've been struggling with a bad case of writer's block and I've been writing other stuff, trying to get the words flowing again. It seems I have succeeded. I will do my best to update once every week but even if I don't, I will keep writing this story. I am not going to abandon it. I love it too much. Once again, thanks for all the lovely comments on the last chapter.

 

The next few days went by peacefully and then it was time for the term to start. Louis Weasley was really looking forward to it. The holidays had been good but between friends and cousins and family obligations he'd got hardly any time to spend with Stanley. The past week had been particularly difficult. Stanley had been away visiting his grandmother and Louis hadn't seen him at all. He was all keyed up as he walked on to the platform at King's Cross, though he did his best to look nonchalant.

He started scanning the platform immediately, doing his best to ignore the jibes from James and Fred and then he saw his boyfriend. Stanley was walking up to him with a big smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, a white button up shirt and a Slytherin green jumper and he looked...Louis brain scrambled to find the words to describe just how good Stanley looked.

They walked up to each other and hugged. They stepped away from each other and noticed their friends standing face to face and sizing it each other up. It was James and Fred on one side and Ellie and Carlo on the other.

"This is not going to be pleasant is it?" Louis said.

"No. It's not. But that doesn't mean to get to sneak off with Stan," Ellie said firmly.

"I agree," Fred said as he tried his most seductive smile on Ellie. "I mean if you guys are dating, then it is time your friends got to know each other right?"

"Leave off the flirting, Weasley. It's not going to get you anywhere. Now are we getting on this train or not?"

They had only five minutes before the train would leave, so they quickly said their good byes and got on the train. They found a compartment and prepared for a fairly uncomfortable journey.

Louis and Stanley spent the first hour trying to make conversation and get their friends to participate, but James was brooding and in no mood to talk, Carlo didn't seem to know what to say and Ellie decided that she preferred a book to Fred's conversation...so it was all very awkward until they decided that they didn't care how uncomfortable their friends were. They hadn't seen each other for a week and they were not about to let any one get in the way now. So they settled into a corner of the compartment with their arms about each other and they quickly forgot that there was anyone else in there with them.

Ellie sat by the window reading and ignoring all of Fred's attempts to get her to talk. Fred Weasley was the biggest flirt in the entire school and she for one had no desire to have anything to do with him. Fred gave up after a bit and he tried to start a conversation with James, but it was obvious that his friend was not in the mood. So he decided to leave him be. He left the compartment and went looking for the rest of his cousins. Carlo Zabini decided that he's had enough of the uncomfortable silence and he left as well.

Ellie found the silence of the compartment soothing. She found herself glancing curiously at James a couple of times. She had expected him to be his usual boisterous self and she was surprised by how quiet and thoughtful he seemed to be. It was obvious that he had something on his mind. James glanced up and caught her looking at him.

"What?" he said.

"Nothing. Just a bit surprised to find you so quiet."

"So am I, to be honest."

"Not used to introspection huh?"

"I can't think of anything more painful..."

Ellie was surprised. "Are all Gryffindors this honest or is it just you?" she said.

"I think it has less to do with honesty and more to do with saying the first thing that comes to mind."

"While we Slytherins would think and rethink and measure and analyse..."

"Sounds exhausting."

"It is."

They continued to talk in this fashion until the train got to Hogsmeade. Louis and Stanley noticed of course, but they pretended not to. They were glad that their two best friends were attempting to talk to each other and they didn't want to ruin it by acknowledging it.

...

Harry walked in to the great hall for the welcoming feast feeling a bit nervous. He had just taken his place at the head table when the students began to file in. Albus and Scorpius were already seated in their usual place. Lily was among the first group of students to come in. She saw Harry immediately. She smiled and waved excitedly. Harry suspected that she would have rushed over and hugged him if she could. He couldn't wait to see her after dinner. He saw a boy come up to her and say something which made her laugh and nod.

"That must be Jeremy," he muttered, resolving to get to know him before the end of the term.

"It is," Draco replied softly. "He's a good kid."

Harry watched Lily make her way to Albus. She hugged him and then she hugged Scorpius as well and she hung around talking for a while. Then she went over to the Slytherin table and sat next to Jeremy like it was the most natural thing in the world.

_Perhaps it is,_  Harry thought as he saw the amount of mingling between the houses. Albus was sitting with the Ravenclaws, Rose was at the Gryffindor table with Frank, Lily and Louis were at the Slytherin table, Fred seemed to be chatting up a Hufflepuff and...every table seemed to have several students that didn't belong there. There was none of that rigid division that had been the norm on his time at school. It was a heartening sight.

Harry had just begun to wonder where James was, when he walked into the great hall. Jenny was behind him. They smiled a bit sheepishly at each other and went to sit at different ends of the table.

_It looks like they've had a talk,_ he thought _. Jamie looks relieved_.

The welcoming feast went by the way it usually did, with lots of conversation and laughter and plenty of good food. McGonagall had introduced Harry to the students before the feast began and he had been greeted by sustained and enthusiastic applause which made it obvious that everyone expected him to be brilliant.

_I better be,_  he told himself that night as he snuggled up to Draco and went to sleep.

...

It was the morning of the next day. Harry paused outside his classroom for a moment and took a deep breath. He squared his shoulders and walked in, feeling grateful that he had the third-years for his first class of the day because it meant that he wouldn't be facing his kids or his nieces and nephews. The students were all milling about, making a lot of noise. But they settled down quickly when they saw him. Harry greeted them and began his lesson. He had prepared meticulously for this and once he started he seemed to know exactly what to do. He began by demonstrating a series of simple defensive spells. The students watched in an awed silence.

The spells were simple but Harry had a tremendous amount of power which seemed to pervade the room even when he performed a simple 'stupefy'. Then he began to explain how the spells worked and how it was important to focus your intent if you wanted a spell to work...The students listened, entranced and then they got to try a couple of spells themselves and by the time Harry left the class, they decided that he was one of the best teachers they had ever had.

The rest of the classes agreed and by the end of the day Harry was convinced that he could do this.

"It felt so right to be standing up there," he said.

"I know. It takes you by surprise, the sheer rightness of it," Draco said.

"Was it like that for you too?"

"Of course. I had gone into teaching thinking it was a temporary arrangement, just until I gathered enough money to open my apothecary. But the moment I walked into my first class and started teaching, something clicked."

"That's exactly how I felt."

"Told you..."

...

By the end of the week, everyone was settled. Harry and Draco kept their relationship as discreet as they could. They were often seen together and they let it be known that they were friends, but they kept to their own rooms and offices all day and only got together at night. Every night at eight 'o' clock, Harry would lock his rooms and step through his Floo into Draco's chambers. They would have a couple of drinks, talk about their day, do a little work if necessary and mostly just be together except for the weekends when Harry had his kids come over. Draco and Scorpius would join them sometimes and Harry did his best to pretend that Draco was a friend and nothing more.

It was not easy though. He was itching to tell James and Lily the truth, but he sensed that it wasn't the right time yet. Also he was hoping that they would get to know Draco and hopefully like him at least a little before he finally told them. Draco did his best to be friendly and Lily was quickly succumbing to his charm but James continued to be a bit aloof. Harry was sensible enough not to push. He just made sure that they spent a good deal of time together and hoped that James would eventually come to like Draco.

James and Lily noticed how close Draco and Albus seemed to be and they were a bit surprised, but they put it down to the fact that Draco was Scorpius' father and he had a tendency to treat Albus the way he treated his son. They each wondered why it was that they seemed to be spending so much family time around Draco and Scorpius. But it was obvious that their dad and Professor Malfoy were very good friends and considering that they were both alone, it was perhaps natural that they chose to be around each other.

After all, that was what James was doing as well. He was spending all his time with his friends now that he no longer had a girlfriend...Lily wasn't convinced though. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this. She began to watch her father closely and then one day, around a month into the new term, she figured it out. She marched up to Albus, dragged him off into a quiet corner of the library and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you about what?"

"About dad and Professor Malfoy..."

"What about them?" Albus said, trying to keep his face and his voice as neutral as possible.

"Why didn't you tell me that they're dating?"


	65. Chapter 65

"Why didn't you tell me that dad and Professor Malfoy are dating?" Lily demanded.

"Um..."

"Well?"

Albus considered telling her that he didn't know what she was talking about...but only for a moment. He knew that he wouldn't be able to pull it off. He was a miserable liar and his sister would see right through him.

"How did you know?" he said finally.

"I've been watching them...I've also been watching you. It's obvious that both and you Scorpius have known about this for a while."

"Wow..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because dad told me not to."

"He could tell you but he couldn't tell me?"

"Look, dad didn't tell me and Draco didn't tell Scorpius. We figured it out and we confronted them about it."

"I still don't understand why neither of you told me," Lily said. She was rather put out and it showed.

"Dad didn't think you would be ready to accept it. You don't know Draco like I do. He just wanted to give you some time to get to know him, that's all."

Lily sighed and put her head in her hands. She had confronted Albus the moment she had figured all of this out, so she hadn't given herself the time to process any of it and suddenly she was overwhelmed. It was a bit too much to take in.

Albus moved to sit beside her. He put his arms around her and gently explained it all. She listened in silence.

"So dad and Professor Malfoy are serious about this...I mean they're not just dating."

"No. They're not just dating..."

Lily was confused and she felt a little betrayed though she wasn't sure whether that was because her father was in a relationship with Professor Malfoy or because she had been kept in the dark about it for so long.

"I just don't know what to think," she said finally.

"Look Lil, I know this is a lot to take in, but have you noticed how happy Dad has been lately?"

Lily nodded.

"Don't you think he deserves that?"

"Of course, but...why couldn't he have been happy with mom?"

"I've asked myself that too you know. I wish it had turned out that way, but it didn't. And you've already accepted the divorce..."

"I know..." Lily said in a small voice. "It's just...I never expected..." She huffed impatiently at her inability to find the words to express herself.

"You never expected dad to move on so soon?"

"Yeah. I figured we'd have a little longer to...get used to everything, you know."

"I know. That's exactly why dad didn't tell you. He was trying to give you a little more time."

"It's just weird. I mean I knew that...now that mom and dad are not together, they might start seeing other people, but I didn't expect dad to be the one to start dating first or to start dating a man. And he's not just dating Professor Malfoy, he's actually in love with him..."

"And?"

"And I'm not sure if I'm ready to share him yet."

"What if I told you that you wouldn't be sharing dad so much as allowing Draco to be a part of your life?"

"I don't want another parent," Lily grumbled.

"It's not just about what you want, Lil. Dad has the right to a life too."

Lily was silent for a couple of minutes. Then she sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm being selfish and...stupid. Dad is happy and Professor Malfoy is really nice and I already love Scorpius. So what am I complaining about?"

"You're not being selfish, Lil. It’s hard to accept someone new in dad's life and like you said, you didn't expect this to happen so soon. None of us did."

"Maybe. But you don't seem to have had a problem with it."

"No. But that's only because I was already very fond of Draco. I've seen a lot of him ever since I started dating Scor and he's always been a bit paternal. And I guess I was just glad to see dad so happy."

"As I should be..."

Lily closed her eyes for a moment. She was turning things over in her head and trying to make sense of everything. Albus stayed next to her, holding her in a gentle grip and giving her the space she needed.

"So much has changed in the last few months," Lily said finally.

"Yeah. We've all changed. Even Jamie."

"He's going to throw a fit about this, isn't he?"

"Most probably. But he'll come around. He's been a lot more sensible lately."

"Yeah..."

"Look, I think you should talk to dad about this."

"I don't know...maybe I should just wait for him to tell me."

"Nonsense. You can't go around pretending that you don't know. And there's really no need. Let's go to him after dinner and we'll just talk this over, alright."

...

Harry walked into his rooms after another long day of work and collapsed on to the couch. He was exhausted. He kicked off his shoes and stretched. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch. He was almost asleep when he heard the soft click of the door. He smiled and opened his eyes. There was only one person in Hogwarts who could walk through the wards on his door...

He looked up after a minute to see Draco standing behind him.

"Tough day?" Draco said as he ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Yeah. I had the first years all afternoon...They're good kids but they can really run you ragged."

"What did they do today?"

"We were practicing blocking spells and for some unfathomable reason Maria Lucas poked Donald Fisher in the eye with her wand. And they weren't even fighting. She was simply swishing her wand around."

Draco let out a soft chuckle.

"And then, Justin Fitzgerald let out a burst of unintended magic and set fire to the drapes."

"Oh my goodness!"

"Yeah and as if that was not enough, Alice Longbottom decided that she just had to help put out the fire and well, her aim isn't very good and...she drenched me. I was just standing in the middle of that classroom soaking wet...She did put out the fire though."

Draco was laughing openly now. Harry gave him a baleful look and that only made Draco laugh harder. Harry couldn't help the rueful smile that crossed his face. "What a crazy day! I mean, who would think..."

"I know. That's the best thing about this job, though. There's always something to laugh about."

"Yeah."

...

Louis and Stanley were in the library, working on their transfiguration assignment. It was due the next morning and they still had plenty to do. They had been at it for a couple of hours already and Louis' attention was starting to wander. He put his quill down and turned to look at Stanley was staring at his books with a frown on his face. A curl of soft brown hair fell across his forehead and he impatiently pushed it away. Louis smiled as he stared intently at his boyfriend.

"What?" Stanley said without looking up.

"Nothing."

"Then why aren't you working?"

"I'm bored."

Stanley looked up. "Come on, love. It's just another few pages. Let's get it done and then we can go have some fun," he said.

"Fine," Louis grumbled. He picked up his quill, took a quick look around to make sure no one was looking and then he leaned over and kissed Stanley on his cheek.

Stanley let out a surprised laugh and then he quickly kissed back. They looked at each other for a moment and then Stanley pointed to the books. Louis groaned. Stanley shook his head at his boyfriend and quietly went back to his books.

Louis looked around him once more. It was very quiet. Everyone seemed to be working hard. He saw James and Ellie sitting in one corner, heads bent over their work, neither of them saying anything. The tentative conversation that had begun on the train had led to a solid friendship. James and Ellie were as surprised by this as anyone else. Ellie was a tough nut and it was quite a challenge to be around her...a fact that seemed to appeal to everything that was brash and boyish about James.

He had a childishness and a sense of fun about him that she liked and it helped that he could be wickedly funny when he wanted. She never took any nonsense from him and she appreciated the fact that he wouldn't let her walk all over him. They butted heads frequently, but somehow, they stayed friends. The two of them had been paired for the Transfiguration assignment and they had discovered much to their surprise that they worked rather well together.

James had never been particularly keen on academics. He'd always done as little as necessary and just got by. But even he couldn't ignore their NEWTs which were coming up in less than three months and with the teachers piling so much homework and so many assignments on them, there was no choice but to put their heads down and study. Ellie was one of the brightest and most hard working students in their year and since she was determined to turn in the best possible assignment, James found himself doing a lot more reading and research than he would have done by himself.

It was hard work and it irritated him sometimes, but there was no way he was going to let Ellie dig into him for bringing down her grade. So he grumbled and complained, but he did the work. And it wasn't like he was only doing this for her. James knew that he needed really good NEWTs if he wanted to become a curse breaker. But he'd always figured that there would be enough time to do the studying. He was starting to realise that the only time he had was now and that he'd better put in the work if he wanted to get decent grades.

...

Dinner was done and Harry and Draco were leaving the great hall when Albus caught up with them. He drew his father aside and told him about Lily. Harry was a bit stunned, but he pulled himself together. He told Albus to bring Lily to his rooms right away. Albus nodded and set off.

"What was that about?" Draco said as soon as Harry went back to him.

"Lily knows about us."

"What? How?"

"She figured it out."

"Smart girl."

"Doesn't help."

"Sorry. How did she take it?"

"Al says she took it well, but you never know."

"What are you going to do?"

"I've asked him to bring her to my chambers. I have to talk to her."

"Do you want me there?"

Harry thought about that for a moment and then he shook his head. This was something he had to do on his own.

 


	66. Chapter 66

Lily came away from that conversation feeling a lot better. It had been a bit of a revelation to hear her dad talk about Professor Malfoy. She had seen the way they looked at each other and she had figured out that they were fond of each other, but she hadn't known that her dad felt that strongly about Draco. It was still a bit weird to think about her father being with a man, but it was a weirdness that she could get used to. It was obvious that her father was happy and Lily was not about to fight anything or anyone who made him happy. So she was fine with it all, but the whole thing would take some getting used to.

Harry went looking for Draco right after his conversation with Lily. He pushed through the wards and walked into Draco's chambers. Draco was sitting in his favourite arm-chair with his feet on the table, book in hand, trying to read. But he couldn't really pay attention. His mind was with Harry and Lily...He looked up when he heard the door open. He saw Harry and he tossed his book aside and stood up with his arms held out. Harry walked straight into Draco arms and buried his head on his shoulder. They held each other in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Why does this have to be so difficult?" Harry said finally.

"Because it is and there's nothing we can do about that. But it will get better. We'll get through this. Soon everyone will know and once the dust settles we'll just be another couple."

Harry sighed. "When did you become such an optimist?" he said.

"When life got so bad that I knew it couldn't get worse," Draco said. The words were lightly said, but there was a seriousness and a certain poignancy behind them that Harry did not miss. He tightened his hold on Draco.

"How did she take it?" Draco said after a while.

"She took it well...she understood. She said she was a bit thrown because she hadn't expected me to move on so soon, but she likes you and she likes Scorpius so I guess it will be fine..."

Draco could sense that there was something else, so he waited. Harry sighed. He pulled away and he sat on the couch and put his head in his hands.

Draco put his arm around Harry and he squeezed his shoulder.

"She...um...Lily said that you and I and Scorpius and Al seem like such a tight little unit already that she doesn't know if there's any room in there for her. She said she feels a bit like an outsider in this set up..."

"That must have hurt..."

"It did. It does. She's my little girl. She shouldn't have to feel like her place in her own family is uncertain." Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I just feel so messed up..."

"Look, this whole thing is messy. We knew it was going to be. Lily may know me a little better now and she may even like me, but that doesn't mean that she's ready to accept me as anything other than a teacher and she won't be for a while yet. But Albus had obviously accepted me a long time ago. That's why she feels left out. But she's a sensible kid. You're a good father and I'm a nice guy...we'll figure it out. Just don't worry about it so much. Trust me, kids are a lot more resilient than we think."

Harry nodded. He rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "I have to tell Jamie," he said.

"The sooner the better, I think."

"He won't take it well."

"That's all the more reason to tell him soon. It'll give him time to get used to it before we have to tell everyone else."

...

Harry told James a couple of days later. James looked incredulously at his father and then he glanced at his siblings, thinking that they were probably as taken aback as he was and when he realised that they already knew about this, that he was in fact the last one being told, he exploded. It was bad enough to know that his father was in a relationship with someone so soon after his divorce, but to know that that someone was a man and Professor Malfoy at that...he couldn't believe it. And then to realise that both Albus and Lily already knew about this...it made him furious and he reacted exactly the way Harry had expected him to react. He yelled and he raged and then he stormed out, saying that he'd never thought that he would see a day when he would be ashamed of his own father.

Albus and Lily followed him out of the room and tried to get him to talk, but he wanted nothing to do with them. He stormed out of the castle and began to walk around in the garden, getting more and more angry as he went. What did his father think he was doing? Why on earth was he in a relationship with Professor Malfoy? Why a man? Why anyone? Didn't he think it was weird for him to be dating Professor Malfoy while Albus was in a relationship with Scorpius? How come Albus didn't seem to have a problem with it? So what was going to happen now? Was his father actually going to marry Professor Malfoy? Was going to acquire a step-father?  _Yuck!_

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Draco who was walking down from the other side of the garden, until he almost bumped into him. It was a very awkward moment. James glared at his professor, but Draco didn't react.

"How is your father?" Draco said softly.

It was a harmless question and it was asked gently. But somehow, it pierced through the wall of James' anger and made him feel vaguely guilty.

"He's fine," James said and made to turn away.

Draco put his hand out and stopped him.

"I want to ask you something..." he said.

James shrugged. All he wanted at that moment was to get away, but he couldn't very well walk out on a professor, so he stayed where he was, staring at the ground and looking sullen and irritated.

"Is your father a good man?"

"Of course he is!" James responded indignantly.

"Do you think he's selfish? You know, always thinking only about himself and what he wants?"

James squirmed uncomfortably. There was that stab of guilt again.

"Well?"

"No. Dad is probably the least selfish person I know..."

"Hmmm...At least we agree on something."

James had no idea what to say to that, so he kept quiet.

"From everything that I've heard, it seems to me that your father has spent the last couple of decades doing nothing other than taking care of you guys, being there for you, looking out for you...and he's going to keep doing that. But what I don't understand is why you don't think that you need to look out for him as well. Tell me, why is it that you don't consider his needs and his happiness to be important?”

"I do want dad to be happy..." James mumbled.

"Are you sure about that? He just told you about someone in his life who's been taking care of him and making him very happy and what did you do? You told him that you’re ashamed of him and then you stormed out. It doesn't make sense, seeing as you so obviously want to see your father happy..."

James was completely taken aback. He had expected Draco to try to convince him to talk to his father and make up or something...He certainly hadn't expected Draco to challenge him and to come at him with logic and sarcasm and he had no idea what to say.

"I know this affects you,” Draco said gently. “It messes with your idea of what your family is or should be. And I'm sorry about that. But that is no reason to be so angry about it. I know you have concerns, but it might help everyone if you got over yourself for a bit and talked about them...You're eighteen, James. I think it is time you started acting your age," Draco said and then he walked away, leaving a thoroughly bewildered young man behind him.

...

Draco walked into Harry’s chambers and found Lily, Albus and Scorpius sitting together on the couch in the living room and talking.

“Where’s Harry?” Draco said.

“In his bedroom. He said he wanted to be alone for a while,” Lily said.

“He’s really upset,” Albus said.

“I’ll talk to him. Why don’t you guys go? It’s nearly time for dinner.”

“Okay. I’m guessing you won’t be making it to the great hall,” Scorpius said.

“No. I don’t think so. Would you tell professor McGonagall that we won’t be there?”

“Sure,” Scorpius said and then he turned to leave. Albus nodded to Draco and followed his boyfriend. Lily lingered for a moment and Draco realised that she wanted to say something.

“Tell me,” he said gently.

“I’m worried about dad. He looked so sad...”

Draco sighed. “He’s feeling guilty,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because there’s some part of him that’s telling him that what he’s doing is selfish.”

Lily looked appalled. “It’s not! I...wish I could tell him that. I think I upset him with something I said yesterday. I’m so sorry! I just...”

“It’s okay, Lily. You didn’t do anything wrong. You told your dad how you felt and you should always feel free to do that. None of this is anybody’s fault. It’s just a lousy situation all around...”

“It doesn’t have to be...”

“No it doesn’t. But it’s understandable that you need some time to get used to it. We all need some time. But we’ll get there, I promise.”

“Okay.”

 “And Harry will be fine. I’ll take care of him.”

“Thank you,” Lily said and then she gave him an impulsive hug and ran after her brother.

Draco was left staring after her, feeling very pleasantly surprised.

He turned around to find Harry looking at him.

“That was nice,” Harry said.

“She’s a nice kid.”

“I suppose you know what happened with Jamie.”

“Yeah. I was just outside. I’d come in when you were in the shower and I’d gone into your office to drop a few things off and...” Draco broke off, realising how lame he sounded.

“You were eavesdropping...”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I would have told you everything anyway.”

“No you wouldn’t have. You would’ve downplayed it.”

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but then he thought the better of it. “Yeah. I would have,” he said and then he shrugged.

“He hates me,” Harry said.

“No he doesn’t. He’s just confused and angry because he hates it when things change and when something doesn’t make sense to him. He’ll come around.”

“What if he doesn’t? What if he hates me forever?”

“Stop being so bloody melodramatic! Behind all that bluster is a kid who loves you very much. He just needs to get over himself and he will.”

“You think so?”

“I know so! And it would help if you stopped beating yourself up over it. Harry, you are not being selfish and you’re not doing anything wrong. You have every right to choose to be happy. And your kids are old enough to understand and they will. We’ll get through this and we will be fine.”

Harry closed his eyes for a minute and then he nodded. “You’re right,” he said.

“I’m always right.”

 

 


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry this update has been so long in coming. I have been struggling to with writer's block for the last two months. It got so bad that I couldn't write anything. I kept thinking about this story and trying to write, but the words just weren't there. They seem to be coming back, though. I have been writing steadily for the last three days. There are at most another five chapters to go in this story. I hope to get them done over the next few days. Thank you all for sticking with this story and being so patient with me.

It was the middle of February...a few days after Harry had told James about his relationship with Draco. James was having a difficult time. The initial burst of anger was gone, but it was replaced by confusion and resentment. He wanted to accept the fact of his father's relationship with Professor Malfoy, he really did. He wanted to be happy about it, but it was difficult...he'd never been particularly fond of Professor Malfoy. Potions had always been one of his worst subjects and considering how much of a stickler for perfection Professor Malfoy was, they had clashed several times over the years.

Professor Malfoy was stern and particular, he was sarcastic and unyielding. What had his father seen in the man? And why a man? That question really bothered him until Lily pointed out that he wouldn't have been happy even if it was a woman. In his world, Dad belonged with mum and if they couldn't be together, then they were better off alone, all of them. There was no need to bring a stranger into the mix. It would only mess up their lives. Why couldn't anyone see that?

So James struggled with himself as he distanced himself from his father and tried to make sense of everything. He knew that he had no say in the matter. He had no control over who his father wanted to be with, but that did not mean that he had to like it or that he had to endure his siblings trying to talk him out of his resentment. Albus had tried, Lily had kept trying, but eventually, they both gave up. James was clearly in the middle of a massive sulk and they knew that there was nothing they could do until he snapped out of it. So they let him be. A fact that irritated James even more.

Harry was still upset about his son's behaviour, but he decided not to dwell on it. Besides, life at Hogwarts was so absorbing that there simply wasn't enough time to keep worrying about something that he could not change. So he put his heart and soul into his work and he was happy. He had finally found work that suited him, that challenged him, that brought out skills that he had never thought he possessed. And he was finally with someone who loved him, valued him and made him feel special. So after forty-one years of struggling with life, Harry found himself in a place where he didn't have to struggle anymore. It was a wonderful feeling.

Another week went by and then Harry got a letter from his solicitor, informing him that the divorce had come through. He was no longer a married man. Harry sat in his chambers that afternoon, staring at that letter and feeling immensely relieved. His marriage to Ginny had been a technicality for a long time, but it was nice to finally be in a place where no one could accuse him of cheating. He couldn't help but sigh when he thought of his marriage and how unhappy he had been. Why had he endured it for so long? Why hadn't he ever thought to want more of life? Probably because he had never known what it was to be loved and valued and perhaps also because a part of him had believed what the Dursleys had spent years telling him...that he didn't deserve to be loved.

He was still thinking about this when Draco walked into the room. Harry handed him the letter. Draco didn't say anything. He just wrapped Harry in his arms and held him tight. Harry rested his head on Draco's shoulder and closed his eyes. _Well, no more,_ he thought.  _I am never again going to think that I don't deserve to be loved._

_..._

Albus was having the best time of his life. His life was no longer consumed by Quidditch, so he had plenty of time to study and he could read as many books as he wanted. It was such a luxury to spend his evening hours with Scorpius in one of their common rooms reading quietly while Scorpius sketched, or just sitting at the window and thinking. For the first time in his life, Albus had the opportunity to get to know himself and to think about what he wanted. He was a quiet soul, he needed time for himself, time to think and time to dream. He was very much unlike his siblings in that respect.

And very much like Scorpius who also needed his space and his bit of silence.  _Maybe that is why we gel so well,_ Albus thought one evening as he sat at the window of the Gryffindor common room and watched the fading light. Scorpius was sitting beside him, head buried in a book. They would spend hours like this every day, neither of them feeling the need to talk, just being together and understanding each other despite (or was it because) of the silence. And then again there were times, whole evenings, nights even when they would get into a conversation and talk for hours on end.

Albus reached for Scorpius' hand and he kissed it lightly. Scorpius looked up from his book and smiled. They looked at each other for a minute. It was an 'I'm so glad I get to share this moment with you' kind of look. Then they quietly went back to doing what they had been doing before. After a while, Albus reached for his journal and began to write. He had been doing a lot of that, lately. It had begun with him putting down his thoughts in an effort to make sense of them, but slowly the thoughts had evolved, turning into essays and stories even. Albus was starting to realise that he loved writing. It made him focus, it gave him a challenge and a sense of fulfilment that he had never experienced before.

He had finally found a way to express himself.

Lily had noticed and she found herself envying her brother his peace of mind. She was happy for him, but she couldn't help grumbling every now and then as she watched her new seeker try and fail at a manoeuvre that she knew Albus would have pulled off with ease. Shirley had been Albus' reserve for the last two years and she had yet to play in a house match. She was dedicated and hardworking and she was clearly thrilled at having this opportunity to play. She was willing to put in all the time and effort that Lily demanded. Lily appreciated that, but she couldn't help thinking that while Shirley was good, she simply wasn't good enough.

But she had to make do with what she had and so she did. She wasn't too worried about the match against Ravenclaw. Albus was right. They didn't need him to win that match. But she would have to find someone else to play seeker next year. She had seen enough of Shirley to know that she wouldn't do, not in any of the serious matches, no. She was going to hold trials in a couple of days to find a reserve seeker.  _Maybe I'll find someone_   _then_ , she thought as she walked off the Quidditch pitch with a thoughtful frown on her face.

She was thinking back to the Quidditch trials that she'd held at the beginning of the year and trying to remember if she'd seen anyone who'd seemed promising. She was so absorbed that she ran right into Jeremy who was waiting for her under the stands.

"Why the frown, love?" he said in that very direct way of his.

"Just thinking about the game..."

“What about it?”

“Nothing important…”

"Ah. I see. You refuse to share your troubles with your boyfriend because you cannot forget that he's also the competition."

"I will never forget that," Lily said with a grin even as she took his arm and pulled him close.

"I always knew there was a bit of Slytherin in you," he said as he kissed her on her cheek.

She laughed and then she reached up to kiss him. There was something about Jeremy that always got to her in the nicest way possible. So much had happened in her life lately, and yet all she needed was to take one look at him to feel better. She knew how sappy that sounded but she didn't care.

...

Frank walked off the Quidditch pitch with James and Louis feeling exhausted and relieved in equal parts. Lily had become rather a demon about practice lately. The match against Ravenclaw was only a couple of weeks away and while she was sure they would win, she wanted to win by a significant margin. So she was pushing them hard.

Frank stumbled into the Gryffindor common room with the rest of the team, wanting nothing more than a hot shower. He saw Albus and Scorpius perched on the windowsill, reading quietly and he saw for the first time why Albus had wanted to quit. He almost envied his friend for a moment.

The two boys looked up as Frank walked up to the window and collapsed on the couch. He was so bloody tired.

"You look knackered," Albus said.

"I am."

"Lily going crazy again?"

"She's a demon, your sister.”

Albus chuckled. "I love her to bits, but I am so glad I don't have to play for her anymore," he said.

"Lucky bastard!"

Frank closed his eyes and sighed. "Where's Rosie?" he said after a minute.

"In the library," Scorpius said. "She was here until about ten minutes ago and then she got up and said that there was one particular Arthimancy text that she needs right now and she rushed off to the library."

"She's going crazy too huh?" Frank said.

"With exams only two months away, of course she is," Scorpius replied.

"Did she show you her schedule?" Frank said, his voice laced with awe.

"Of course," Scorpius said. "She makes one for me too, every year."

"Does she make you follow it as well?" Frank looked honestly scared.

Scorpius chuckled. "She tries..." he said

"She's made a schedule for me too," Frank said. "It’s colour coded and everything…"

Albus and Scorpius couldn’t help but laugh at this.

The door to the common room opened just then and Rose stepped in, levitating a large pile of books in front of her. Frank got up and went to help her.

“Thanks,” she said and then she kissed him on his cheek, leaving him smiling goofily as he followed her with some of the books.

He put them on the floor and looked at them in wonder. What could one person want with so many text books?

“Are you sure you need all of them?” he asked uncertainly.

“Of course I do! But they’re not all for me though. There’s one Potions text, a charms text and two Transfiguration books for you as well.”

Frank blanched. “Really?” he said.

“Yes. Now go shower and get changed. We only have about an hour before dinner. You need to get your Charms assignment done tonight. Then there the two foot essay for Transfiguration and…”

Frank sighed. He was tired. The last thing he wanted to do was study tonight. But no matter how much he might want to complain he couldn’t deny that Rose was right. That Charms assignment was due in two days’ time and he still hadn’t got started. The way his homework was piling up, he would be in a world of trouble if he didn’t tackle it soon. _Rosie may be a bit autocratic, but she’s_ _only trying to help me_ , he thought and he felt a rush of affection for his girlfriend. He knelt beside her on the floor and pulled her into a tight hug.

Rose let out a startled laugh.

“I love you,” Frank said.

“I love you too…”

Frank let her go after a minute. He got to his feet and made his way up to the dorm. He stopped outside the door and turned around. Rose had grabbed his book bag and she was getting out his parchment, ink and his books and setting it all out. _She’s a bit of a mother hen, my Rosie,_ he thought and he couldn’t help the fond smile that crossed his face…

…

Louis stretched his aching muscles and steeped into the shower. That had been an exhausting practice session. He was tired, but he had a ton of homework to get through before he would have any chance to rest. And he knew Stanley would not let him go until he got it all done. He didn’t know what it was about the Slytherins but they seemed to be as bad the Ravenclaws when it came to studying. He stepped out of the shower with a sigh and he went back to the dorm and started to get dressed.

“I will be so glad when the NEWTS are over,” he said to James who was sitting on his bed and wearing his shoes.

James made a non-committal noise. His mind was clearly elsewhere. Louis looked curiously at him. James had been rather withdrawn for the past week. He even seemed to be avoiding Albus and Lily. He wondered why. _I hope they haven’t fought again,_ he thought.

“Are you okay, Jamie?”

“I’m fine,” James said in a tone that clearly indicated that he was anything but.

“Jamie…”

James sighed. “I’m fine, Lou. Let’s just go, yeah?”

Louis knew his cousin well enough to understand that he wasn’t going to tell him anything, no matter how much he pushed. So he let it be. They walked down to the library in silence. Louis went over to join Stanley while James made his way to Ellie.

Ellie was in a thoughtful mood too, so they worked in silence. It was only when they were on their way to the great hall for dinner that Ellie pulled him aside and asked him what was wrong.

Jamie was about to trot out his usual denial, but the look in her eyes stopped him. It was a stern ‘Don’t fuck with me,’ kind of look. She had been asking him about this for a week now and so far he hadn’t told her anything. Clearly, she’d lost her patience.

James sighed. “Not here,” he said softly.

“Let’s go to the kitchens then.”

James followed her into the kitchens feeling very reluctant. He didn’t want to tell her anything. He was fond of Ellie and he trusted her, but this was about his dad and his choices…he had no idea how she would react.

They got to the kitchens and Ellie led him to a quiet corner.

“Talk,” she said.

And he did. She listened in silence, with barely any change of expression. She was very much a Slytherin in that sense. You would never know what she was thinking until she was ready to tell you.

James found, much to his surprise, that once he started talking, it was easy enough to carry on. Ellie’s silence actually helped him along…

She stared at him for a minute when he finished.

“So what exactly is the problem? That you don’t like Professor Malfoy or that you don’t like the idea of your father choosing to be with anyone other than your mum or that you’re simply not ready to share your father with anyone else right now?”

“A bit of all there, I suppose. We’re happy as we are. Why mess with that?”

“Because your father in love you twat! And I don’t care what you think of Professor Malfoy, but he is a good man and he’s intelligent and smart and most of all, he loves your father. Surely you’re mature enough to accept that.”

“I just…” James looked a bit helpless. “I don’t get it,” he said lamely.

“You don’t get what your father sees in Professor Malfoy?”

James nodded.

“Maybe you should try getting to know him then.”

“It’s not just that, Ellie… You have no idea how badly this will go down with everyone in the family. Dad is already somewhat estranged form them because of the divorce. This will make him an outcast.”

“Your father knows that too. But clearly, he’s willing to take that chance.”

“Why?”

“Because he thinks it is worth it, you idiot! Because he thinks Professor Malfoy is worth all the trouble and the heartache. I’m glad you’re worried about your father, Jamie. But he doesn’t need you to look out for him. He needs you to understand him and to support him. Give the man a bloody break, will you?”

 

 

 


	68. Chapter 68

James spent a lot of time thinking that night and he woke up, resolved to sort things out with his father. He sat in a thoughtful silence all through breakfast, trying to figure out exactly what to say. He’d never been any good with words, so he had no clue how to approach this, particularly considering how badly he'd been behaving...

 He saw his father finish his breakfast and leave the great hall with Professor Malfoy...and he went after them. Harry was half way down the corridor when he heard James calling him. He turned, obviously surprised. James hadn't so much as looked at him all week.

"Hi dad..." James said. He was a bit breathless.

"Morning Professor," he added.

Draco's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he nodded his acknowledgement.

"I...uh...I wanted to apologise. I'm sorry. I know I've been a twat. I didn't mean to hurt you, dad. I just lost my head, I guess...I couldn't understand. I still don't understand, to be honest, but I want to try, I really do. I'm sorry."

He looked so lost and so sheepish that Harry melted right there.

"That's all I wanted," he said as he pulled his son into a hug.

James squirmed a bit uncomfortably. He was glad his father had forgiven him so easily, but that didn't mean that he was okay with all the hugging. They were at school and he had an image to maintain.

"Dad! We're in the corridor," he said. He was clearly embarrassed.

"Bloody teenagers," Harry grumbled as he let his son go, but he was smiling. He was honestly relieved.

“I’m sorry,” James said again. “I worry about you…I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He couldn’t help but glance at Draco as he said that.

Draco was amused and touched by this show of protectiveness. “I’ll take good care of your father, I promise,” he said.

James nodded. “Thanks.”

“Well, I should go,” he said.  “I have a class in ten minutes…”

He turned to go. He was surprised when Professor Malfoy called his name. He turned around.

“I hear you’re very good at chess,” Draco said.

“I am.”

“Fancy a game tonight?”

“Sure.”

“Good. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Me too.”

…

It was about an hour after dinner. Harry and Draco were working quietly in Harry’s chambers when James, Albus, Lily and Scorpius came to spend the evening with them. It was obvious that the four kids had talked and sorted a few things out. James had brought his chess men with him. Draco led him to the small table by the window where he’d set up his chess board. They set out their pieces and began to play.

Lily joined her father on the couch and began to talk Quidditch. Albus had homework to do and so did Scorpius. So they took their books over to the dining table and got to work. It was mostly quiet with just the occasional murmur of voices. It was a very domestic scene which astonished Harry by its sheer normalcy and total lack of drama.

He kept glancing at Draco and James every now and then, feeling quite unable to believe that this was real, that they were actually sitting in a corner by themselves quietly engaged in a game of chess…an intense game of chess, if their expressions were anything to go by.

Draco had heard from Albus that James was very good at chess, but he hadn’t expected that the boy would be this good. He’d had Draco tied up all over the board in a matter of minutes. But Draco was an excellent player too. He was slowly extricating himself from the many traps James had laid for him and now he started to lay his own traps and James was finding the going a lot more difficult than he’d expected. Neither of them would admit it, but this was the most exhilarating game of chess that either of them had played for a long time.

“I can’t believe this,” Harry said. “Jamie and Draco are actually getting along…”

“Looks like Jamie’s found his match,” Lily murmured.

They watched Draco and James for another couple of minutes and then they went back to their own conversation.

“So what do you think of Shirley?” Lily asked her father.

Harry had helped her out with the team practice that day and she wanted to hear his opinion on the seeker.

“She’s good, but like you said, she’s not good enough. Training can help, but it is not going to make a huge difference. You will need to find someone else for the next year.”

“That’s what I thought,” Lily said and then she sighed. “I’m going to have replace half the team next year. With Jamie, Lou and Fred gone and Al not playing. God, it’s going to be awful.”

“It’s going to be fine. You’ll find another good set of players,” Harry said. “Anyway, that’s about next year. Let’s talk about now. Tell me, why are you driving your players so hard?”

“You think I’m driving them too hard?” Lily was surprised.

“Yes and there’s honestly no need.”

“I just…I want them to play well.”

“And they will. You don’t need to practice every day, and you certainly don’t have to put in three hours a day. At this rate, they’ll burn out even before the match.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. They’re getting restless…and tired. All your players are fifth, sixth and seventh years. So they have OWLs and NEWTs to worry about and tons of homework. You can’t take up so much of their time with practice, particularly when you don’t need it. It’s not fair. They don’t all live and breathe Quidditch like you do…”

Lily sighed. “I didn’t realise…” she said in a small voice.

“I know.”

“So you think I should let up?”

“Yes and I think you need to be a little more aware of what your players are thinking and feeling. None of them has said anything so far because they respect you, but it is obvious that they are feeling the strain. You’re the captain, honey. It is not your job to push your players. It is your job to inspire them.”

That made Lily think.

“I guess I just wanted to prove myself…” she said after a minute.

“Prove yourself?”

“Yeah. Everyone was surprised when Professor Longbottom made me the captain at the beginning of the year. A lot of people said I’d fail. Jamie was furious…”

“He expected that Neville would name him captain, huh?”

“We all did. But Professor Longbottom thought I would do a better job of leading the team.”

“And you’re doing it, honey. You’ve nothing left to prove…You remind me so much of Oliver. He used to be just like you. We all looked up to him, we adored him even, but he was a bloody demon when it came to practice. He just wouldn’t let up.”

“I don’t want to be a demon,” Lily said.

Harry chuckled. “Then stopping thinking so much about winning,” he said. “Just go out and play. Quidditch is supposed to be fun. Don’t turn it into a chore.”

…

The next couple of hours went by quietly. Scorpius finished his homework and then he got out his sketch pad and began drawing. He had a frown on his face and he kept glancing at Draco and Jamie every couple of seconds. Harry went over to see what he was doing and sure enough there was the outline of the window and the table with the chess board on it…Scorpius had just begun to draw an outline of James. It was fascinating to watch him work…the quick, clever lines and gentle strokes of his pencil that slowly brought the scene to life.

“That is beautiful,” Harry said.

Scorpius flashed him a quick smile. “I’m drawing it for you,” he said.

“Me?”

“Yeah. I figured you’d want to remember this moment.”

Harry was floored again by Scorpius’ niceness and his generosity. He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Thank you, son,” he said.

“Anytime, Harry, anytime.”

…

The game went on for nearly three hours and in the end, it was James who won, but it cost him a bloody battle and he acquired a whole new respect for Draco.

“That was an amazing game, Professor. Thank you,” James said.

“It’s a long time since I had a worthy opponent,” Draco said. “But, I do not take kindly to losing, so what say we have rematch?”

“I’d like that.”

“Saturday evening?”

“I’ll be here.”

And so it was that the ritual of the weekly chess game got started. By the end of the month, Draco and James had played four games and won two each. The other three kids had even started betting on them while Harry looked on, amused and vastly relieved. They were slowly knitting together as a family.

Scorpius had finished his painting of Draco and James and he’d gifted it to Harry as promised. It now hung over the mantel in Harry’s chambers and it was a sight that never failed to make him smile…

 

 

 

 


	69. Chapter 69

The match against Ravenclaw came and went. Gryffindor won quite easily and Albus heaved a sigh of relief. Most of his teammates had accepted his decision to quit the team, but Liam and Fred were still angry with him. They felt that Albus' exit had upset the balance of the team. Albus tended to protest every time they mentioned it, but he knew in his heart that it was true.

The team got along well, on the whole, but Lily and James tended to clash quite a bit. They were both strong, rather volatile personalities and they had strong opinions on strategy and game play. Lily expected James to defer to her because she was the captain, but James had a hard time taking orders from his baby sister.

Albus was pretty much the only one that either of them would listen to. With his exit, practice had become a painful business. But now, the game against Ravenclaw was over and won and James would leave next year, so Albus no longer had to feel responsible for the fate of the team...

The next big event was the final game of the season: Slytherin vs Hufflepuff. Gryffindor had already won the house cup and both Slytherin and Hufflepuff had one win each, so they were both fighting for second place. Slytherin were clearly the better team, but the Hufflepuffs were a good team too. Gryffindor had only managed to beat them by a narrow margin earlier that year.

Stanley had prepared his team for the match with his usual thoroughness. He was disappointed at losing the house cup, but he intended to play well enough to come a very close second. It was going to be his last match at Hogwarts, the last time that he would lead Slytherin house and he had every intention of making his team and his house proud.

The school made its way to the stadium which was divided by house colours: silver and green at one end and black and yellow at the other. And for probably the first time in the history of Hogwarts, the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team arrived at the stadium in Slytherin colours. They all had friends in Slytherin…even James who would have been appalled by the idea mere months ago was there, wearing green and silver and cheering for Ellie. It was a show of sportsmanship that made their teachers very emotional.

They had all lived through a war that had been fought over blood purity and house loyalties and nowhere had the divide been deeper than it was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. It was heartening to see their children walk past that divide like it didn't exist.

It was an intense and hard fought match, but Slytherin won in the end. When Stanley finally caught the snitch the entire school erupted. He was the best seeker that Hogwarts had seen since Harry Potter and this was the last time he was playing at Hogwarts. Even the Hufflepuffs couldn't grudge him the win.

Louis had spent the entire match sitting at the edge of his seat, barely able to breathe. He let out a huge sigh of relief when the match ended and then he yelled himself hoarse. He ran on to the pitch and pulled Stanley into a bone crushing hug, feeling as if his heart would burst with pride.

The Gryffindor team changed into their own house colours before the ceremony where they were awarded the house cup. Stanley couldn't help the twinge of disappointment he felt as he stood on the side-lines and watched Lily Potter lift the cup. But it was a fleeting emotion that was quickly drowned by a feeling of nostalgia as he looked around him. This was the place where he had found his love for Quidditch and he had just played his last match…his stint as seeker and captain was over and soon he would be done with school as well. It was not a happy thought.

He looked over at Louis who was standing in the middle of the pitch with the rest of his team as they took turns holding the cup and he felt his heart constrict. The last couple of months had been wonderful, he'd been insanely happy. He still was. But what of the future? He was in talks with the Falcons and he would probably join the team sometime in September while Louis was all set to join his Uncle Charlie in Romania to train as an apprentice.

Louis had an enduring love of animals and it was his dream to build a preserve for endangered magical creatures. So he had a series of apprenticeships lined up, starting with his Uncle Charlie.

They had all these plans for their lives. Where in any of this was the room for their life together? It was something they hadn't talked about so far, choosing to enjoy the time they had instead of worrying about their future. But it was a talk they would have to have. They would have to work something out. Because no matter what his ambition and his dreams, the thought of life without Louis was quite unbearable.

He could only hope that Louis felt the same way. Stanley sighed. Louis had been absolutely wonderful ever since they had got back together and he knew how much the man loved him. He had no earthly reason to feel insecure. But he couldn't help it sometimes.

He looked up to see Louis coming towards him. The presentation ceremony was over and everyone was headed back to the castle. He'd been so lost inside his own head that he hadn't noticed. Louis was coming up to him with a big smile on his face…Stanley smiled back, but Louis noticed that something was bothering him.

He came up to Stanley and took his hand. "What is it, love? Are you upset about losing the house cup?"

"Oh! No…no. I just got a bit emotional, you know, last match and everything."

"Can't believe it's all over huh?"

"Yeah…"

Most of the school had already left the pitch, but Stanley didn't want to go yet. So they found a secluded corner at the edge of the stands and sat down.

"It feels as if it was just yesterday that we were eleven year old kids wandering wide-eyed through the castle…" Stanley said after a couple of minutes.

"Hmmm…you were such a cute kid back then," Louis said, smiling fondly at the memory.

Stanley snorted. "As if you ever looked at me."

"I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I did look at you…I always looked at you. I was too young to know what it meant, but yeah."

"Really?" Stanley couldn't quite believe it.

"Yeah…that time in the locker room was by no means the first time. I was always drawn to you, but I was too much of a coward to admit it…"

Stanley had no idea what to say to that. So he put his arms around Louis and held him.

"You're really brave, you know," he said after a minute.

"Brave?"

"Yeah. You messed up badly, but you admitted it and you apologised and…you've been trying so hard to make it up to me. That takes courage."

Louis smiled. "Thanks. It means a lot to me that you think that. I didn't deserve a second chance, you know. You gave it to me anyway. It's the least I can do to make it up to you..."

The pitch was absolutely quiet. The sun had nearly set and the light was fading fast. Louis and Stanley lay down on the grass and watched the stars come out one by one. They talked of many things that evening. They reminisced about school, they talked about their dreams and they made plans for their future. Stanley voiced his concerns and he was relieved to find that Louis had been thinking about all those things too.

"It will be difficult, but I think we can work something out," Louis said. "We have to. I can't imagine living without you, love. I'm willing to do anything I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

Stanley sighed. "I don't want that to happen either, but I hate the thought of a long distance relationship. You'll be off in Romania and I'll miss you so much…"

"It's only for a few months. Besides, it's not as if you will be in London all the time. You'll be traveling all over the country."

"Exactly. So when and how are we going to manage to have a relationship?" Stanley said. His worry was obvious.

"Do you love me?" Louis asked.

"Of course I do. You know that."

"Then we'll be fine. We'll figure something out. Let's get a flat in London and spend the summer there," Louis said. "We'll have to go off in different directions after that, but maybe can work things out so that we can get together every weekend. It'll be nice to have a place of our own where we can meet anytime we want even if we don't use it the rest of the time…"

"Hmmm…that sounds workable," Stanley said. "I like the idea of us having a home together."

"Me too…We'll be fine Stan, don't worry. I'll be done with all my apprenticeships in a couple of years' time and then I'll be settled. You'll still be travelling, but I can travel with you sometimes. Besides, you'll only be playing for eight months every year, so we'll have all the off season time together. We'll be fine."


	70. Chapter 70

It was the middle of May and there was only one month to go for the end of the school year. Exams were upon them. So it was a very busy time and most of the students, particularly the upper years, were studying themselves crazy. It was a busy time for the teachers as well and everyone, it seemed was looking forward to the summer.

Harry and Draco were still keeping their relationship under wraps, intending to tell everyone sometime during the summer. But the fact that Harry was now a free man had made them relax a little and soon they realised that they didn’t care who knew about them.

They didn’t make any big statements, nor did they change their behaviour towards each other. But they let go of that constant vigilance, the constant monitoring of everything they said and did in public. And soon enough, the entire school knew about them. It was not something that someone discovered and started gossiping about. It was just something that everyone came to realise.

Surprisingly, no one was shocked. Considering how close the two men had been, it seemed like a natural next step. The entire staff was supportive. There were a few homophobic rumblings among the students, but they were too few to bother about. A lot of the girls thought that they made a gorgeous couple and they weren’t shy about voicing that opinion, even going so far as to congratulate them on occasion. 

There were a few raised eyebrows among the Weasley kids who accosted their cousins with questions. James, Albus and Lily made it abundantly clear that they were very happy about their father's new relationship and once that was established, there was nothing left for anyone else to say.

The papers got hold of the news and made a big deal of it, but being at school made it easy to ignore what everyone was saying, particularly since McGonagall was considerate enough to ban all newspapers and magazines for the next couple of weeks. She was very proud of the men that Harry and Draco had grown into and she was not about to let them become an object of gossip among the students.

Harry knew that the entire Weasley family would be upon him soon. It was an event that he had dreaded for months, but now that it had come to it, he found that he didn't really care what anyone said or did. His children had accepted his relationship with Draco. They were happy about it…even James, who had bonded with Draco over several games of chess and now looked forward to spending time with him.

So yeah, Harry didn't care. He didn't care when Ginny came storming into his rooms asking him what the hell he thought he was playing at.

“I’m not playing at anything,” he replied calmly. “I’m in love and I’m happy. And I don’t mean to be rude, but it is none of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business! You’re bringing that man into our children’s lives.”

“And that is a good thing, because he’s a good man and he’ll be a wonderful influence on them.”

“He was a death-eater!”

Harry sighed. “It’s been twenty-five years since the war, Gin. He’s been nothing but good in all that time. I’d say he’s redeemed himself. Just…get over yourself, will you?”

“But Harry…”

“But nothing. I’m in a relationship with Draco. I love him and I intend to marry him. It’s the sort of thing that people do every day. Stop making such a big deal out of it. I know you don’t like it, but you no longer have a say in anything that I do with my life. And you don’t have to worry about our kids. They like Draco and they’re perfectly happy with my decision to marry him.”

Ginny’s mouth fell open at that.

“What?!” she said.

“Yes. Talk to the kids, they’ll tell you.”

Ginny was confused. She had no idea what to make of this. Her first reaction on hearing the news had been disbelief. She had half expected Harry to tell her that it was just a silly rumour. That there was no way he was in a relationship with a man, and with Malfoy at that.

“Since when are you gay?” she said finally.

“I’m not gay. It’s just Draco. I fell in love with him and the fact that he’s a man made no difference to my feelings…”

“Not many straight men would say that.”

“Then maybe I’m not as straight as I thought I was. How does it matter anyway?”

“Are you sure it’s love and not some midlife crisis?”

“I should be offended by that question,” Harry said mildly.

He thought for a minute, wondering how to explain it. “This isn’t a midlife crisis. This is me finally finding someone who makes me feel special. Someone who loves me deeply, someone who made me realise that I don’t have to settle for what happiness I can get…”

Ginny winced at that. She couldn’t deny the truth of those words, but they hurt, nonetheless. She had never been there for Harry. She hadn’t been able to love him the way he deserved to be loved. He hadn’t been able to do that for her either. But that was the point wasn’t it? They had both settled for something less than ideal. Harry it seemed, had finally found the kind of love he wanted. So who was she to get in the way?

“But…does it have to Malfoy?” Ginny said. She was trying, but she simply couldn’t wrap her head around that.

“Yeah. I’m starting think it _had_ to be him. There was always something between us. No one ever got under my skin like he did…”

“I don’t think I will ever understand that.”

“No offence, but I don’t care either way.”

That was not the response Ginny had expected. Harry had always cared about what everyone said and thought about him.

“You’ve changed,” she said.

“Yes I have. I’ve learned to stand up for myself. I’ve finally understood that I do not have to put everyone else ahead of me all the time…”

Ginny had never seen Harry be so assertive and she had no idea how to deal with him.

“I don’t want to fight with you,” she said finally.  But I just don’t like that man and I never will. And no matter what you say, I am not comfortable with the idea that he is going to be a part of our children’s lives. I cannot believe that he will be a good influence.”

“There’s nothing you can do to keep me from marrying him and the kids are going to be around him because I am and I have always been their primary parent. Maybe you can counteract his evil influence by being around more.”

“Don’t mock me, Harry.”

“What else do you expect me to do? The war is long over. Stop judging people by the choices they made decades ago.”

“Those choices reflect the kind of people they are!”

“People change! Draco has changed. If you’re not mature enough to see that, I cannot help you. And stop making this about the children. I know perfectly well what is good for them and don’t you dare question that.”

They argued like this for a little while longer. Ginny had come to see Harry in the hope that she would get him to change his mind. It became painfully obvious that that was not about happen. She felt a bit defeated as she left Harry’s chambers and went looking for her kids. Did they really like Malfoy as much Harry said they did? Was that actually possible?

Apparently it was. It was obvious from everything they told her that her children were fond of Malfoy. It gave her a pang to realise that Albus probably loved Malfoy more than he loved her. But that was her own fault. She hadn’t tried hard enough. She hadn’t cared enough and her kids had picked up on that.

“Do you miss dad? Do you wish you’d stayed with him?” Lily asked her.

“No, honey. This isn’t about that. I stopped loving your dad a long time ago. I really am happier now.”

“So what is this about?” Albus said.

“I just…I don’t think Malfoy is a good influence on you, that’s all.”

Albus rolled his eyes. “Please, mum. Not that again,” he said.

Lily and James seemed to agree with that sentiment. Clearly, Ginny was looking at another lost cause.

“I just…I don’t want to lose you guys,” she said.

“You’re not losing us,” Lily said. “We’ll come stay with you as often as we can. Nothing has to change just because dad is seeing Professor Malfoy.”

“I see you guys have talked about this,” Ginny said.

“Yeah we did. It’s going to be fine, mum.”

Yes, this was definitely a lost cause. If she wanted her children to be a part of her life, she would have to make time for them, show them that she really did care. She was trying to blame Harry for this unease that she felt, this fear she had of losing her children or having them turned against her. But this was not about Harry and his choices.  This was about her and the fact that she had been absent for most of her children’s lives. And while that was something that she could not undo, she could certainly do better form here on.

…

The confrontation with Ron was louder and far more dramatic.

“I can’t believe you left my sister for that ferret!” Ron began.

The very predictability of that statement made Harry want to burst out laughing. He held his laughter in check, however, and heard Ron out. His objections were pretty much the same as Ginny’s had been. Harry listened as patiently as he could and then he told Ron that he had absolutely no need to explain or justify his actions.

“It is really none of your business, Ron. I don’t need either your approval or your permission. This is my life and I honestly do not care whether you approve of my actions or not.”

Ron glared at him. “So you don’t care about me now, is that it? That ferret is all that matters.”

“Call him that once again and I will not hesitate to hex you,” Harry said.

That shut him up.

Harry sighed. Ron would never understand. What made it worse was the fact that Ron had spent the last three months trying to mend his friendship with Harry. He’d written him a letter at the beginning of the term, apologising for being hasty and judgemental. Harry had forgiven him and they had begun to mend their friendship. And yet, here they were again.

“What was the point of all those letters if you’re not even going to try to understand me?” Harry said. “You said you don’t want to lose my friendship. So how about you try to be my friend for once, try trusting me instead of leaping to conclusions. You’ve done this so many times, Ron. You’re always ready to assume that I’ve lied to you and that I’m in the wrong. You don’t trust me and you never have. So why talk of friendship?”

“Don’t talk to me about trust!” Ron said. “I was the first person to offer you my friendship. Heck I even gave you a family. You’re the one who’s been keeping all the secrets. You don’t tell me anything anymore. Whether it was the divorce or your new job or this…I have to find out from the papers or from your kids. But never from you. Is that friendship?”

“No it isn’t. But ask yourself why I didn’t tell you. Because I knew that you wouldn’t understand. I knew that you wouldn’t even try to understand. You would do exactly what you’ve done now. Storm in here and start hurling baseless accusations. You’re the Head Auror, Ron. The least you should do is think.”

Things went far more smoothly with Hermione. She was the only one who made an attempt to get to know Draco and make him feel that at least one of Harry’s friends was happy for him.

The rest of the Weasleys were shocked and most of them had no idea how to react. Arthur and Bill came to see Harry one day and they talked to him openly, telling him in the end, that as long he was happy they didn’t care who he was with. Arthur made it a point to let Harry know that he would always think of him as his son no matter what.

Molly was hurt and unable to understand how any of this had happened. Everything had been perfect, just a few months ago. How had all of that changed? And why? It took her a while to wrap her head around all of it…But hurt as she was, she missed Harry. He may be a grown man with kids of his own. But to her, he would always be the shy eleven year old who had come up to her at Kings Cross station asking for help.

By the time the summer was over, Molly had come around. Hermione had talked at Ron loud and long until he capitulated and apologised to Harry who forgave him again. Their friendship would never be as good as it had been when they were younger, but in one way or the other, Ron would always be his friend. Ginny stopped complaining about Draco and set about repairing her relationship with her kids.

The storm that Harry had been dreading had come and gone and it hadn’t been anywhere near as terrible as he had feared. When it finally came down to it, he’d had all the courage that he’d needed to stand his ground. Too long had he lived his life weighed down by the burden of others and their expectations. He had finally come into his own. It had taken him a long time but he finally had the life that he wanted and he was not about to give that up for anything…


End file.
